In these past few weeks have been a blessed experience for me. An extended cousin of mine passed away unexpectedly at the young age of 35. I had not seen him in many years but I had heard that he had recently been unwell. When my mom shared with me of his passing, it took me by surprise as I hadn’t realized that his health had declined so rapidly. Shortly after hearing of this sorrowful news, I was able to speak with his mother, where she honored me with privilege to preach at his funeral Mass.

When I arrived at the church for his visitation, I was awestruck by the great number of people who were present for it, being that it was held on a weekday as typical Hmong funeral visitations are typically held over the weekends which allow for travel time for family and friends. My first thought was that many of these people were just family members, but as I watched and listened to the many words that were shared about his life, I realized that about half the people who were there were people whose lives he had touched through the relationships he had with them.

It was a deep and sorrowful moment for all, especially for his parents, siblings, and their children. But a very blessed and sacred moment as well. to see what great love such a young person was able to give while he was still here with us.

This moment was a stark reminder for me of what this sacred season of Lent, Holy Week, Triduum, and Easter is about. That in these days our Lord is preparing us how to live with more intention in our lives, to be holy, like He is Holy.

What holiness looks like on a practical level for all of us is as simple as this: be the child of God that you were made to be. Ok, what does that mean still? Just as we have all been brought up in a household, in a family, with expectations (rules to follow) about what it means to be a member of that household, to be a child of God is like that: to be holy is to live in God the Father’s expectations as His child, following His laws and commandments as we do for our parents and those who are in charge over us. With God though, the expectations are on an even higher pedestal because we know ourselves and we know our families, we aren’t perfect and we make mistakes, whereas God the Father is perfect in His love for each of us, and truly knows what is best for us.

Thus Jesus, God Himself, became flesh like one of us, to walk ahead of us to show us what it looks like to live as a child of God: how to bear hardship, pain, suffering, sorrow, and even death! But not just end it there with death, but how to prepare for eternal life where sin and death no longer has any place.

The beauty of these seasons helps us prepare for a life of eternity: a life without sin, pain, sorrow, and death. That can be hard to imagine as we seem so immersed in those things (turn on the tv, read the news, look at what we do to each other when we become upset). What does a world without all those things look like and what would we be doing with ourselves in that kind of world? It’s a question worth asking and reflecting on.

Enter into Easter. Walk out of the darkness that this world would want to keep you in and enter into the Light of Jesus where His promise of eternal bliss awaits all of us, those who have already gone ahead, those of us still here, and those to come. Let us experience a bit of His Light, hold tightly to It, and help others to experience It so that they too will long for eternity. Keep the darkness out of your lives and the lives of others.

Remember, “we are a Resurrected people living in a Good Friday world.” Let the Light of Jesus keep your hope filled to overflowing until the day we are with Him in eternal bliss, in heaven. Awake, O sleeper, and live as a child of God!

Have a blessed Easter!

Mary, Mother of the Church, pray for us!

-Fr Peter

Have you been looking for an opportunity to grow in your relationship with Jesus and your neighbors? Our small groups are being carefully crafted to do just that, & we would love for you to join us. Simply click below to see the opportunities that the Lord is opening up to you!

Pull up outside the Church entrance closest to the rectory between 11:30am-12:30pm on Saturday, March 30, and Fr. Peter will bless your Easter food!

The Panther Pride Gala is fast approaching! As a reminder, it is Saturday, April 13, in the school. Get your tickets online now by clicking below. You can also view items available at the auction at this site, as well. You won’t want to miss out! Note also that we will have a special 4pm Mass that Saturday evening.

Presentation of Mary School is hiring a principal to begin next school year. The job is officially posted on the Archdiocese website. If you or someone you know is interested in the position, click bleow. Feel free to contact the parish office with questions.

Please pray for our students receiving First Eucharist next Sunday, April 7:

We are currently in need of additional Altar Servers, Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion, Lectors, Sacristans, and Livestream helpers for our weekend Masses. Training is provided. To learn more about these ministries, and to let us know you’re interested, head over to presentationofmary.org/liturgy-prayer/liturgical-ministries/, follow the QR code, or contact Kay Mottaz at 651-842-6022 or by email at kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.

Please note that there will be no school on Thursday, March 28; Friday, March 29; or Monday, April 1 for Easter Break. Take this time to pray together as a family on this holiest week, and have a blessed Holy Week & a happy Easter!

The Summer Care Program at Presentation of Mary School is designed to meet the summer childcare needs of parents, parishioners, and the children in our community. Our program will be a safe, fun, and affordable option for summer care. It is for children that will be in Kindergarten and older for the 2024-2025 school year. Registrations due by Friday, April 5th.

Middle School Math, Science, and STEM Teacher positions: full or part-time available. Contact Sue Lovegreen at slovegreen@presentationofmary.org or 651-842-6032 for more information.

Beginning the weekend of February 3-4 you can find students selling tickets at church entrances before or after most masses. They will also be selling them at our Soup Supper and Fish Fry nights during Lent in Kenney Hall. Tickets are $10 each and can win you one of three prizes: 1st Place: $1,500 cash (donated by the DuFresne family) 2nd Place: 1/4 Cow (donated by Sandberg Cattle Company) 3rd Place: $500 cash (Donated by the Auction Committee).

Great Scott! The 2024 Presentation of Mary Catholic School Gala is coming back to Presentation on Saturday, April 13, 2024! We need you to take action now, so you don’t get left behind! 

April may feel a long way off, but the planning and preparations for our Panther Pride Gala are well underway already! Please make sure you've read all of the information on the Gala web page to understand all the ways you can Raise Your Hand to ensure the success of our biggest fundraiser! Donate a theme basket, wine, beer, or spirits, become a sponsor, get a Gala t-shirt, or even join the planning committee! If you have any questions, contact the school office at 651-777-5877.

Donate Items to the Panther Pride Gala! We are collecting items for our silent and live auctions. Put together a fun theme basket or donate tickets to a fun event. Do you have a special skill such as cooking or woodworking? Donate a cooking lesson or a few hours of carpentry assistance! Get together with some friends and donate a hosted dinner party! The options are limited only to your imagination! Questions? Contact Gala Chair, Linda Charnowski, at lprazak@presentationofmary.org.

Do you know someone in need of prayers? Contact Kay at the Parish Office at 651-842-6022 so they can be added to our Prayer Line.

You can also contact her if you are interested in joining the Prayer Line!

Protection of Youth: All employees, and volunteers who interact with minors, are required to complete and maintain safe environment credentials (E3) through the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. To ensure successful completion of these requirements or if you have any questions regarding our safe environment practices or would like more information on what is needed to volunteer, please contact our Safe Environment Coordinator: Kay Mottaz @ 651-842-6022 or email kmottaz@presentationofmary.org.

To learn more about reporting suspected abuse, please also visit: www.safe-environment.archspm.org/report-abuse/Report.