Serendipity or Another Clue-by-Four?

About a week ago or so, I was in my local public library. This, in itself, is not an unusual occurrence--I'm a fairly regular patron. However, I was there this time because of DS#2--he needed to pick up a biography for his English class.

I steered him to the right area and he picked out a book or two that he thought would fulfill his teacher's requirement and that he might actually find interesting. While he did that, I went over to the New Book section. Peggy Noonan's book, John Paul II: Rememberances of a Spiritual Father, was there. I enjoy Ms. Noonan's writing, especially her account of her last audience with John Paul II. But I hesitated over checking the book out. I'm in the middle of another book, with several more waiting in the wings. Since I know the library has this book, I'll be able to check it out at a more convenient time.

But, then, it might not be here when I want to read it. It's here right now. And library books are free.

I checked it out.

I've only read the first couple of chapters (the book opens with her last audience with JPII) and I'm amazed at what I missed and what I've forgotten about the early years of JPII's papacy. As an excuse, it was a busy time of my life: Hubs and I were getting settled in our careers, getting married, buying a car, buying a house--doing all those things couples do when beginning their life together.

Then, at Mass this Sunday, Father P. mentions it's the anniversary of JPII's death. He's been gone a year.

I am not one of those who clamored for JPII to be canonized immediately. Frankly, I'd rather have the Church be cautious when canonizing saints, maintaining standards, requiring miracles, allowing the Devil's Advocate to do a thorough job examining the life of the proposed saint to ensure that there are no condemnatory secrets, no skeletons hiding in the closet. But this coincidence is just too strange. I had not planned this, I was not aware that it has been a year. What I was (and still am) planning to read was the novel 1906, specifically because it is the 100th year anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire in San Francisco.

God and JPII are chuckling at me. I'm sure of it.

NB: The Anchoress has, as usual, a lot of good links concerning John Paul II.