Can you believe how early Ash Wednesday was this year? Early February and the first Sunday of Lent? You are right to wonder. An Easter this early is more than a once in a lifetime event. It’s a once-in-a century event. The earliest Easter can fall is 22 March, which occurs only once every two centuries. A 23 March Easter is a once-a-century event . . .the next one is 2160.

We are as unaccustomed to this early a Lenten season as we are accustomed to the temptations story beginning our Lenten journey. In fact, the “forty days and forty nights” Jesus spent fasting in the “wilderness” is what marks a season of “Lent” on the church calendar to begin with.

The church uses Lent as a time for “tuning up” spiritually. Jesus’ own experience of this journey, a tempestuous time of testing and tempting,…