Today, we are reading the election of 7 deacons to share the burden of the Apostles in the early Church (Acts 6:1-6).
The Church was expanding and the Apostles found it difficult to handle preaching and alms giving at the same time.
And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:2-4)
Deacons are men of good repute; full of the Spirit and of wisdom.
I am aspiring to be a permanent deacon. However, I am still struggling to clarify my vocation.
The Church was expanding and the Apostles found it difficult to handle preaching and alms giving at the same time.
And the twelve summoned the body of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.
Therefore, brethren, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this duty.
But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." (Acts 6:2-4)
Deacons are men of good repute; full of the Spirit and of wisdom.
I am aspiring to be a permanent deacon. However, I am still struggling to clarify my vocation.
Today in the Religion & Life course conducted by Fr. Edward Chau, he mentioned the 3 stages of life experienced by everybody seeking their goals. Fr. Chau is much imbued in Chinese culture. He wants to make Christianity relevant to the Chinese civilization. In his theology course, he works hard to help the Word of God incarnate in the Chinese world. The three stages of life were mentioned by a late-Qing scholar Wang Guo Wei. S6 students studying AS Chinese Culture should be familiar with them. I searched the Internet and found the following. I would like to quote in full.
自古以來，人們把求學成才的經歷劃分為三個過程，來激勵自己或他人。凡拜讀過王國維【人間詞話】之人，都應該知道他所講得三種境界。這位最有影響的晚清一代宗師王國維在其【人間詞話】中富有詩意地提出了：“古今成大事業，大學問者，必經過人生三重之境界：
第一種境界是“昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路”; "Last night, the west wind withered the budding green tree. Alone I scaled a tall building, looking beyond the end of the path."
第二種境界是“衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴”; "Clothes and belts are sagging but in the end I regret not. For her I am worn thin and pallid."第三種境界是“眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在燈火闌珊處”。"Among the multitude I sought her thousands of times. Suddenly I turned back my head, only (to discover that) she was in the waning lights."
第一境界詞句出自晏殊的《蝶戀花》。原詞：“檻菊愁煙蘭泣露，羅幕輕寒，燕子雙飛去。明月不諳離恨苦，斜光到曉穿朱戶。昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路。欲寄彩箋無尺素，山長水闊知何處！”原意是說我上高樓眺望所見的更為蕭颯的秋景，西風黃葉，山闊水長，案書何達？在王國維此句中解成，做學問成大事業者，首先要有執著的追求，登高望遠，瞰察路徑，明確目標與方向，瞭解事物的概貌。
第二境界詞句出自宋代詞人柳永的《蝶戀花》。原詞是：“佇倚危樓風細細，望極春愁，黯黯生天際。草色煙光殘照裏，無言誰會憑闌意。擬把疏狂圖一醉，對酒當歌，強樂還無味。衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴。”王國維在這裏，顯然也已超出了原詩相思懷人的情緒了。他想說明，對事業，對理想，要執著追求，忘我奮鬥，為了達到成功的彼岸，一切都要在所不惜。所謂書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟；寶劍鋒從磨礪出，梅花香自苦寒來。
第三境界王國維則採用了宋代詞人辛棄疾《青玉案》中的詞句。原詞是：“東風夜放花千樹，更吹落星如雨。寶馬雕車香滿路，鳳簫聲動，玉壺光轉，一夜魚龍舞。蛾兒雪柳黃金縷，笑語盈盈暗香去。眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”王國維用在此處，是指在經過多次周折，多年磨練之後，就會逐漸成熟起來，就能明察秋毫，豁然領悟。這就達致了最後的成功。所謂踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費功夫。這是厚積薄發，功到自然成。
追求這三種個境界的人，才會自覺地，不知疲倦地讀書，求知，把讀書視為工作之餘的第一需要。“寧可食無肉，不可案無書”，“人間自有讀書癡，此事不幹名與利”，此之謂也。望天涯，終無悔，驚回首--治學三境。這三句本是描寫相思詩句，但王國維卻用以表現“懸思—苦索—頓悟”的治學三重境界，巧妙地運用了三句中蘊含的哲理意趣，把詩句由愛情領域推繹到治學領域，賦予了它以深刻的內涵。
細品王國維歸納的這三境界，第一境界為求學與立志之境，此為“知”之大境界；第二境界為“行”之境界，為實現遠大理想而堅忍不拔；第三境界為“得”之境界，功到自然成。
“驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”(辛棄疾青玉案·元夕)。這首詩寫上元之夜，燈月交輝，車馬喧鬧。觀燈女郎，笑語幽香，飄然而過。然而意中人千尋萬覓，杳無蹤影，似乎已經絕望了。誰料驀然回首，竟看見他在燈火闌珊之處。悲喜交集，戛然而止，令人回味無窮。王國維以此比喻為第三境界：豁然開朗，親手得之。故也稱為“獲得”。
第一種境界是“昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路”; "Last night, the west wind withered the budding green tree. Alone I scaled a tall building, looking beyond the end of the path."
第二種境界是“衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴”; "Clothes and belts are sagging but in the end I regret not. For her I am worn thin and pallid."第三種境界是“眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在燈火闌珊處”。"Among the multitude I sought her thousands of times. Suddenly I turned back my head, only (to discover that) she was in the waning lights."
第一境界詞句出自晏殊的《蝶戀花》。原詞：“檻菊愁煙蘭泣露，羅幕輕寒，燕子雙飛去。明月不諳離恨苦，斜光到曉穿朱戶。昨夜西風凋碧樹，獨上高樓，望盡天涯路。欲寄彩箋無尺素，山長水闊知何處！”原意是說我上高樓眺望所見的更為蕭颯的秋景，西風黃葉，山闊水長，案書何達？在王國維此句中解成，做學問成大事業者，首先要有執著的追求，登高望遠，瞰察路徑，明確目標與方向，瞭解事物的概貌。
第二境界詞句出自宋代詞人柳永的《蝶戀花》。原詞是：“佇倚危樓風細細，望極春愁，黯黯生天際。草色煙光殘照裏，無言誰會憑闌意。擬把疏狂圖一醉，對酒當歌，強樂還無味。衣帶漸寬終不悔，為伊消得人憔悴。”王國維在這裏，顯然也已超出了原詩相思懷人的情緒了。他想說明，對事業，對理想，要執著追求，忘我奮鬥，為了達到成功的彼岸，一切都要在所不惜。所謂書山有路勤為徑，學海無涯苦作舟；寶劍鋒從磨礪出，梅花香自苦寒來。
第三境界王國維則採用了宋代詞人辛棄疾《青玉案》中的詞句。原詞是：“東風夜放花千樹，更吹落星如雨。寶馬雕車香滿路，鳳簫聲動，玉壺光轉，一夜魚龍舞。蛾兒雪柳黃金縷，笑語盈盈暗香去。眾裏尋他千百度，驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”王國維用在此處，是指在經過多次周折，多年磨練之後，就會逐漸成熟起來，就能明察秋毫，豁然領悟。這就達致了最後的成功。所謂踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費功夫。這是厚積薄發，功到自然成。
追求這三種個境界的人，才會自覺地，不知疲倦地讀書，求知，把讀書視為工作之餘的第一需要。“寧可食無肉，不可案無書”，“人間自有讀書癡，此事不幹名與利”，此之謂也。望天涯，終無悔，驚回首--治學三境。這三句本是描寫相思詩句，但王國維卻用以表現“懸思—苦索—頓悟”的治學三重境界，巧妙地運用了三句中蘊含的哲理意趣，把詩句由愛情領域推繹到治學領域，賦予了它以深刻的內涵。
細品王國維歸納的這三境界，第一境界為求學與立志之境，此為“知”之大境界；第二境界為“行”之境界，為實現遠大理想而堅忍不拔；第三境界為“得”之境界，功到自然成。
“驀然回首，那人卻在，燈火闌珊處。”(辛棄疾青玉案·元夕)。這首詩寫上元之夜，燈月交輝，車馬喧鬧。觀燈女郎，笑語幽香，飄然而過。然而意中人千尋萬覓，杳無蹤影，似乎已經絕望了。誰料驀然回首，竟看見他在燈火闌珊之處。悲喜交集，戛然而止，令人回味無窮。王國維以此比喻為第三境界：豁然開朗，親手得之。故也稱為“獲得”。
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Dear Lord, allow me to struggle until I become thin. I know You are around me. Amen.
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