Thursday of the Second Week of Advent - St. Maximilian Kolbe
I will set in the wasteland the cypress, together with the plane tree and the pine, That all may see and know, observe and understand, That the hand of the Lord has done this, the Holy One of Israel has created it. - Isaiah 41:19b-20 Advent is a season of tension. It is a time to reflect on promises fulfilled, but somehow still incomplete. This built-in tension of Advent reflects the experience of waiting and expectation that is an essential part of life. When we think of a child counting the days until Christmas or listen to the hopes and excitement of parents awaiting the birth of a child, we can see the frustration (and even pain) that goes with expectation. Unfortunately, however, many people today live lives that are almost always oriented toward the next thing: we love novelty and distractions so much, that we often forget about the gift of the present moment. Advent isn’t only about the past and the future, it is also a season that invites us to see what Go...