Advent Quote of the Day 7

A mass of legend and literature, which increases and will never end, has repeated and rung the changes on that single paradox; that the hands that had made the sun and stars were too small to reach the huge heads of the cattle. Upon this paradox, we might almost say upon this jest, all the literature of our faith is founded...

I mean that all the eyes of wonder and worship which had been turned outwards to the largest thing were now turned inward to the smallest...

It is true that the spiritual spiral henceforward works inwards instead of outwards, and in that sense is centripical and not centrifugal. The faith becomes, in more ways than one, a religion of little things.

- G.K. Chesterton, The Everlasting Man

Advent Quote of the Day 3

It is commonly in a somewhat cynical sense that men have said, "Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall not be disappointed." It was in a wholly happy and enthusiastic sense that Saint Francis said, "Blessed is he that expecteth nothing, for he shall enjoy everything." It was by this deliberate idea of starting from zero, from the dark nothingness of his own deserts, that he did come to enjoy them.

- G.K. Chesterton, St. Francis of Assisi as quoted in Advent and Christmas Wisdom from G.K. Chesterton

Reminder: Today is the first day of the St. Andrew/Christmas Novena. It is said 15 times each day from today (the feast of St. Andrew) thru Christmas Eve. You can find it in the sidebar of O Night Divine, a blog about celebrating Advent and Christmas.