My father was born on George Washington's birthday, albeit 195 years later. February 22nd is that day. My mother was born on our nation's birthday, again, it was 148 years later. July 4th is that day. My sister was born on Groundhogs Day. Since this particular holiday's genesis is rather foggy, somewhere back in either Celtic or German mythic lore, I can give you no "later" date after which my sister was born. February 2nd is that day. My son Keith was born on Albert Einstein's birthday, 102 years later. March 14th is that day. I was born on Labor Day, 66 years after it was officially established. It was Thursday, but my mother "labored" that day, so I think it qualifies as "labor day." There are lots of calendar coincidences in my family with respect to birthdays. Sometimes we humans take special notice when our lives coincide with "special dates." Those born on 9/11 or Christmas or who die on Good Friday (regardless the month or numerical day) might try to find a correlating significance with the date. It may be good fun, but it's only coincidence. Lent, however, isn't coincidental. It begins with Ash Wednesday and that date is decided by counting back from when Easter is determined. It's a specific date, but variable. Does that make sense? Lent is a fixed space of time on the calendar during which we focus our living in preparation for the Passion of Jesus. We're almost half way through the season. How are we doing with our fasting and our praying and our alms giving? Are they front and center? Do they mark our days? Are we remembering our mortality? Be sure of this. God has not entered our lives coincidentally. How long has it been from that first Passion time? Not long enough for God to have forgotten why the Christ has come. I encourage you to continue living a holy Lent. Believe it makes a difference. God bless you all.
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