O ur Lenten journey continues this Sun-day as we hear of Jesus healing a

blind man in the Gospel of John. Jesus proclaims himself the light of the world, a light that overcomes darkness and enables a new capacity to see. The man, blind from birth, was able to begin his path to sight by first acknowledging his blindness. We are reminded of God’s ongoing invitation to us to journey from blindness to sight. We be-gin by acknowledging our own capacity for “blind spots,” and so open ourselves to uncomfortable truths and to God’s healing. We are invited to see beyond appear-ances, as the reading from Samuel indi-cates, and to look into the heart of things. We are invited to “live as children of light” as the letter to the Ephesians teaches. Like the man healed from blindness, we may gradually learn to see fully and to fol-low Jesus.

HEALING FOR COMMUNITY It is helpful to observe that our Gospel pas-sage from John, the healing of the blind man, is the first part of a longer episode. When Jesus’ words end Chapter 9 in to-day’s passage, he goes on speaking in the discourse on the Good Shepherd in Chap-ter 10. The healing of the blind man was not only a demonstration of God’s power, giving him the physical capacity of sight. It was even more than the awakening of the man’s personal faith in Jesus. The image of the Good Shepherd confirms that the man was liberated from the social isolation of his blindness and became a member of

Jesus’ flock. All of Jesus’ powerful actions of healing were intended as gifts, not only to individuals, but for the building up of the community of faith.

HUMILITY AND ACTION “Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance, but the LORD looks into the heart.” In our first reading, Samuel draws conclusions about who God will choose as king based on his assump-tions of what a proper king looks like. But God sees a deeper reality.

How easy it is to miss our own blindness. How frequently we are unaware of our own flawed assumptions about others and about ourselves. We often need a deeper humility about the limitations of our percep-tions and our convictions.

Yet, as the letter to the Ephesians encour-ages, there are times to expose the “fruitless works of darkness”, to speak out, especially when persons or groups are suf-fering from abuse or oppression. We are called to live within a tension that these scripture passages convey. We are to seek God’s guidance in prayer with genu-ine openness. We are then to speak and act forcefully against wrongdoing, even as we maintain humility about how much we know, or what is the best action to take. We are called to bring God’s wisdom and mercy to all. Today’s Readings: 1 Sam 16:1b, 6–7, 10–13a; Ps 23:1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6; Eph 5:8–14; Jn 9:1–41 [1, 6–9, 13–17, 34–38]

ANNUNCIATION CHURCH "As the father sent me, so I send you."

1307 East Longden Ave., Arcadia CA 91006 Parish Office: 2707 Peck Rd., Monrovia, CA 91016

(626) 447-6202 / Fax (626) 447-9834 Website: AnnunciationChurch.net

Annunciation Church Masses for This Week Masses for Next Week

Mass Alternatives And Additional Information: We recognize that having to cancel our daily and Sunday Masses has had a significant effect on many of you. We, too, are conflicted between our desire to continue ministering to you, while also balancing that with the necessity of keeping you healthy, as well as staying healthy ourselves. Following are some alternatives offered by the Archdiocese in lieu of Mass attendance:

† Churches will remain open for individual, private prayer. Our hours will be 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Our Adoration Chapel will re-main open 24/7, but will be limited to two persons at any time (please remember to observe the suggested six-foot social distancing protocol). † You may view Mass via livestream. The weekday and Sunday Masses will be livestreamed from the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels via the LA Catholics Facebook page (facebook.com/lacatholics) and is also available on YouTube. Sunday Mass in English is streamed at 10:00 a.m. and the Sunday Mass in Spanish is streamed at 12:30 p.m. There is a daily Mass livestreamed from the Cathedral at 12:10 p.m. Another excellent resource is Bishop Robert Barron’s Word on Fire offering of Daily Mass at: https://www.wordonfire.org/daily-mass. The website for EWTN also streams daily Mass. If you listen to Sirius XM radio, Mass is available on Channel 130 (EWTN) and Channel 129 (The Catholic Channel) Depending on the type of TV service you have, you can visit www.heartofthenation.org to find your service provider and the channel that you can access to view Mass. If you do not have a subscription service, Channel 56 (KDOC) also broadcasts Mass. For additional information on additional Mass broadcasts on TV and radio please visit lacatholics.org/emergency. † If you do not view or listen to Mass on Sunday, you are encouraged to keep this day holy. Activities may include: reading the Gospels, praying with your family or friends and making an act of spiritual communion. † With regard to weddings, Baptisms and funerals, please contact the Parish Office at (626) 447-6202 to discuss your specific needs or concerns. † We anticipate being able to make an announcement about Holy Week on or before Friday, March 27th. Please pray that we will be able to gather once again as we approach this most blessed time in our church year. Your Church Contributions: Recognizing that this is a difficult and trying time for all of us, we humbly request that you continue your faithful practice of financial support to Annunciation. If you haven’t used our online service, available from our website (www.annunciationchurch.net), you can set up your contribution on either a one-time or a recurring basis. You are also welcome to drop your contribution through the mail slot in the door of the Parish Office, or you can bring it into the office.. Finally, for those who receive their monthly envelopes by mail, there is a pre-addressed envelope in your package that you can use to mail in your donation. Of course, if your personal circumstances related to the COVID-19 virus prevent you from your usual gift, we respect that and would be grateful for any lesser amount you might be able to provide. God bless.

Pastoral Council Elections: The election process for the upcoming open positions on our Pastor4al Council have been put on hold for the time being. We will re-calibrate the Parish Calendar to al-low for this process to begin when it’s feasible to do so. Catholic Relief Services Collection This Weekend: This week, we take up the Catholic Relief Services Collection. Funds from this col-lection provide food to the hungry, support displaced refugees, and bring Christ’s love and mercy to all people here and abroad.

4th Sunday of Lent Mar. 22, 2020

April 7, 2002

Offering Collection $9,310.50

Thank you and God bless you.

Christian Service Center: This year, in April, we will be providing Easter funds for 160 families with residences, 10 homeless families and 100 homeless single adults. We are asking for your support again to assure adequate funding to provide for our neighbors in need. Please make your donation by using the special green envelopes included in your monthly envelope package, or the blue enve-lopes in the pews, being sure to check the box next to “Christian Service Center”. Thank you very much!

Unauthorized Text Messages: Once again, we’ve been made aware that several parishioners have re-ceived a supposed text message from Fr. Freddie, requesting them to secure gift cards or money for a need of his. Please be ad-vised that none of our priests would ever re-quest assistance like this from anyone. If you receive one of these messages, delete it im-mediately. Thank you.

Information Session On Annulment: The Archdiocesan Office of Family Life’s Separated and Divorced Ministry present “Understanding the Annulment Process” on Monday, Apr. 6th from 7:00-9:00 p.m. at Im-maculate Conception Parish, Room 5A. Please call (213) 637-7249 for info. There is no charge to attend..

Online Carmelite Retreat: The Cloistered Carmelite Sisters of Alhambra have graciously shared the following link with our parish as a way of deepening our faith experience with meditations during this sea-son of Lent: www.retreat-online.karmel.at.

Lord, Protect Them Joseph Villamayor Air Force Elizabeth Villamayor Air Force Robert James Logan IV Army Adrian Mc Nally Army Ronnel Resurrecion Navy Daniel Smith Marines Patrick Thompson Navy Catherine Holdren Coast Guard Robert Wrischnik Marines Brandon Tennis Navy Rafael Hernandez, Jr. Marines Mario Monoz Marines Emma Larenas Navy Gabriel Jimenez Air Force Brian Griffiths Marines John B. Goss Marines Noe Villanueva Army Stephen Cain Marines R. Michael Rodriguez Army Preston Ellis Air Force Matthew Aldrete Army Patrick Parra Army Justin R. Lozano Marines Vianca Medina Army Carlos Casillas Army Alex Quesada-Bocanegra Marines Carlos Rodriguez Army Jacob Davis Navy Shannon S. Everitt Air Force Liezl Sarte Air Force Mariel Constantino Air Force Christopher Moss Marines Nicholas Goddard Army David Aguilera Army Jason Smith Marines Brandon Patanjo Navy Michael Stanton Army Alex Ascanio Marines Matthew Martinez Army Osvaldo Santillan Air Force Lazarus Fuentes Marines Cristian Jesus Garcia Army Marco Andres Garcia Army Michael Beltran Navy

Last Week’s Offertory Collections Mar. 15, 2020 : $ 6,965.00 Last Year: $ 9,631.00 Online Giving: $ 710.00 Together in Mission—2020

Goal Amount: $ 54,834.00 Amount Pledged: $ 45,889.00 Amount Paid: $ 24,540.50 Difference UNDER Amount Paid: $ 30,293.50

Please Pray For: Dolly Green and all who are ill. Calendar of Events: Sunday, March 22nd Tuesday, March 24th B1,C1,C2—6:30 PM Family Catechesis Wednesday, March 25th Parish Feast Day Thursday, March 26th OC1—7:00 PM RCIA Friday, March 27th Saturday, March 28th

Did You Know? We can do our best to ensure that the children in our community are as safe as possible, and one critical way is to take immediate action at the first hint of improper behavior by an adult towards a child. Be familiar with ways in which perpetrators attempt to groom children, their parents, and church communities so that you can recognize and interrupt such behav-iors promptly. Paying attention to changes in behavior, appetite, or de-meanor in the children we know is also important as these cues may be reflective of a child’s distress. For more information, get a copy of the VIRTUS article “Early Identification is Crucial” at https://lacatholics.org/did-you-know/.

Usted encontrára esta informacion en Espanol en la tabla de anun-cios que se encuentra al Esta del Vestibulo de la iglesia.

Nhìn lại quá trình làm thay đổi cuộc sống của người mù, chúng ta thấy có nhiều điều rất thú vị. Lúc đầu, anh chẳng có một ý niệm gì về Chúa. Khi được hỏi về người đã chữa cho anh, anh trả lời

một cách rất mù mờ: "Người mà người ta gọi là Giêsu". "Người mà người ta gọi là Giêsu"(Ga 9,11). Đó là tất cả nhũng gì anh có thể nói về Chúa lúc ban đầu. Ngoài ra Người ở đâu, anh không biết. Ngài là người như thế nào anh cũng chẳng hay. 2. Thế nhưng sau khi anh được sáng mắt, từ trong cõi lòng anh đã dần dần nhận ra Chúa. Khi anh được người ta tra vấn về nguyên do anh được sáng mắt, trong lúc người ta tìm cách để kết án Chúa thì anh lại dõng dạc tuyên bố: “Ngài là một tiên tri”(Ga 9,17). Rất thẳng thắn và cũng rất chân thành. Không có gì là úp mở cả. Rồi khi người ta dùng áp lực để dọa cha mẹ anh và tiếp sau đe dọa cả anh thì lúc ấy chúng ta thấy anh trở nên can đảm lạ thường. Dường như anh không còn biết sợ là gì nữa. Thái độ của anh khác hẳn với thái độ của cha mẹ anh. Anh thẳng thắn dõng dạc tuyên bố trước mặt mọi người “Chúng ta biết Thiên Chúa không nhậm lờì những kẻ tội lỗi. Còn ai kính sợ Thiên Chúa và làm theo ý của Người thì Người nhậm lời kẻ ấy. Xưa nay chưa hề nghe có ai đã mở mắt cho người mù từ khi mới sinh. Nếu không phải là người bởi Thiên Chúa mà đến thì ông ta chẳng làm được gì”(Ga 9,31-33) Vâng anh đã được mở mắt. Anh đã được thấy sự thật và anh đã dám gắn bó với sự thật đó và cho dù anh có phải trả một giá rất đắt anh cũng sẵn lòng. Chúng ta không thể hiểu hết những gì anh phải hứng chịu khi người ta dùng một biện pháp trục xuất anh ra khỏi hội đường để trừng phạt anh. Trước kia anh mù, cuộc sống của anh đã khổ. Bây giờ anh được sáng mất, tưởng như cuộc sống sẽ thuận lợi hơn...ai dè bây giờ cha mẹ anh không dám bênh vực, xã hội chẳng giúp anh được gì. Chỉ còn một chút hy vọng vào cộng đoàn tôn giáo thì người ta lại trục anh, đưa anh trở lại với cuộc sống còn cô đơn và bất hạnh hơn trước. Trước đây anh mù nhưng thỉnh thoảng còn có người thi ân bố thí. Có gần anh người ta cũng không phải sợ Bây giờ khi anh bị trục xuất ra khỏi hội đường, anh sẽ phải tự cách ly với tất cả mọi người. Không ai dám tiếp xúc với anh, không ai dám giao thiệp với anh, không ai dám gần gũi với anh...thật là kinh khủng. 3. Thế nhưng thật may, giữa lúc cả loài người từ bỏ anh thì Chúa lại mở rộng đôi tay đón nhận. Dường như Chúa đã biết trước tất cả, cho nên ngay sau khi anh vừa buồn tủi cô đơn bước chân ra khỏi Hội dường thì Chúa đã chờ sẵn. Băng một Tình yêu rất đặc biệt và bằng một cái nhìn rất trìu mến Chúa hỏi anh:

“Anh có tin vào Con Người không?” (Ga 9,36) Anh thưa lại: “Thưa Ngài, Đấng ấy là ai để tôi tin?” (Ga 9,36) Chúa chậm rãi nói cho anh biết “Anh đã thấy Người. Chính Người đang nói với anh đây.” (Ga 9,37) Bằng cả một tấm lòng trìu mến, biết ơn và bằng một giọng nói đầy xúc cảm anh thưa lại với Chúa: " Lạy Ngài, tôi tin” (Ga 9,38) Và anh sấp mình xuống trước mặt Chúa. Phúc âm không nói nhưng tôi chắc là Chúa đã cúi xuống để ôm trọn cả con người anh trong vòng tay yêu thương của Ngài. Chỉ một ít phút trước đó anh tưởng anh mất tất cả bây giờ anh cảm thấy anh đã có lại tất cả. Chỉ một ít ít phút trước đó anh tưởng suốt đời anh sẽ phải cô đơn nhưng bây giờ anh thấy cuộc đời anh có hạnh phúc.

Cả loài người bỏ anh, nhưng Chúa đón nhận anh. Cả loài người muốn xa cách anh, nhưng Chúa lại muốn gần gũi anh. Cả loài người muốn từ khước anh, nhưng Chúa Chúa lại đón nhận anh. Cả loài ngươi tưởng rằng anh sẽ bơ vơ lạc lõng khi anh bị trục xuất ra khỏi hội dường thì giờ đây anh lại được bước vào một xã hội mới không phải là của loài người nhưng là của Thiên Chúa trong đó mọi người được liên kết với nhau trong một niềm tin và được sống với nhau bằng chính Tình yêu Thiên Chúa đã yêu thương con người.

Suy Niệm

Bài đọc 1 1 Sm 16,1b.6-7.10-13a Ông Đa-vít được xức dầu tấn phong làm vua Ít-ra-en.

Bài đọc 2 Ep 5,8-14 Từ chốn tử vong, trỗi dậy đi nào! Đức Ki-tô sẽ chiếu sáng ngươi!

Tin Mừng Ga 9,1-41 Anh mù đến rửa ở hồ Si-lô-ác và khi về thì nhìn thấy được.

“Tôi là ánh sáng thế gian. Ai theo tôi, sẽ nhận được ánh sáng đem lại sự.” Ga 8,12

E s practico observar que nuestro pasaje del Evangelio de Juan, la sanación del hombre

ciego, es la primera parte de una historia más larga. Cuando las palabras de Jesús terminan en el capítulo 9 en el pasaje de hoy, él continúa hab-lando en el discurso del Buen Pastor en el capítulo 10. La sanación del hombre ciego no solamente es una demostración del poder de Dios, dándole la capacidad física de ver. Fue más que el despertar en el hombre su fe personal en Jesús. La imagen del Buen Pastor confirma que el hombre fue liber-ado del aislamiento social de su ceguera y llega a ser un miembro del rebaño de Jesús. Todas las acciones poderosas de sanación de Jesús tuvieron la intensión de ser dones, no solamente para esas personas, sino para el desarrollo de la comunidad de fe. HUMILDAD Y ACCIÓN “La mirada de Dios no es como la del hombre: el hombre ve la apariencia, pero el Señor ve el corazón.” En nuestra primera lectura, Samuel saca conclusiones acerca de quién Dios elegirá como rey basada en sus asunciones de cómo será un rey apropiado. Pero Dios ve una realidad más pro-

funda. Que tan fácil es pasar por alto nuestra propia ce-guera. Que tan frecuentemente estamos ignorantes de los errores de nuestras asunciones acerca de los demás y de nosotros mismos. A menudo nece-sitamos una humildad más profunda acerca de las limitaciones de nuestras percepciones y nuestras convicciones. Sin embargo, como la carta a los efesios nos an-ima, hay veces que exponemos los “inútiles traba-jos de la oscuridad” para hablar, especialmente cuando las personas o grupos están sufriendo a causa del abuso o la opresión. Estamos llamados a vivir con una tensión que estos pasajes de las Es-crituras expresan. Vamos a buscar el consejo de Dios en la oración con una apertura genuina. Esta-mos, entonces, hablando y actuando enérgica-mente en contra del pecado, incluso mientras tenemos humildad acerca de lo mucho que sabe-mos, o cual es la mejor acción a seguir. Estamos llamados para llevar a todos la sabiduría y miseri-cordia de Dios. Lecturas de hoy: 1 Sam 16:1b, 6–7, 10–13a; Sal 23 (22):1–3a, 3b–4, 5, 6; Ef 5:8–14; Jn 9:1–41 [1, 6–9, 13–17, 34–38]

We encourage you to take notes as you reflect on this week readings / homily:

The Most CompleteOnline National

Directory ofCatholic ParishesCheck It Out Today!

Robert W. Bodkin IIReal Estate Broker CRS, GRI

DRE Lic. # 00543199

Residential – Commercial – Investments4143 E. Live Oak Ave., Arcadia, CA 91006

Service you can “TRUST” since 1972Cell 626-824-9991 • r.bodkin@att.net

HOWIE GETS IT SOLD TEAM

1-626-695-9644ANNA HOWIE, Realtor

A Full Service Real Estate TeamLIC # 02039155

4%TOTAL

COMMISSION

Sell Your Home With Me And SaveThousands In Realtor Commission Fees.

Anna Carwan Howieannahowierealtor@gmail.com

626-695-9644

If You Live Alone You Need MDMedAlert!24 Hour Protection at HOME and AWAY!

✔Ambulance✔Police ✔Fire✔Friends/Family

CALLNOW!

FREE ShippingFREE ActivationNO Long Term Contracts

Solutions as Low as $19.95 a month

This Button SAVES Lives!As Shown GPS,

Lowest Price Guaranteed!

GPS Tracking w/Fall DetectionNationwide, No Land Line Needed

EASY Set-up, NO Contract24/7 365 Monitoring in the USA

800.809.3352MDMedAlertSafe-Guarding America’s Seniors Nationwide!

513801 Annunciation Church www.jspaluch.com For Ads: J.S. Paluch Co., Inc. 1-800-231-0805

SPACE AVAILABLETo Advertise Here...

Contact VICTORIA QUINN today at(800) 231-0805 • quinnv@jspaluch.com

$29.95/Mo. billed quarterly

• One Free Month• No Long-Term Contract• Price Guarantee• Easy Self Installation

Call Today! Toll Free 1.877.801.8608

Medical Alert System

Get thisweekly bulletindelivered byemail - for FREE!

Sign up here:https://www.jspaluch.com/BulletinSubscribe.aspx

Courtesy of J.S. Paluch Company, Inc.

Grow in your faith,find a Mass, and

connect with yourCatholic Community

with OneParish!

Download Our Free App or Visit

MY.ONEPARISH.COM

RUDY’S PLUMBINGSt. Lic. # 917340

www.rudysplumbing.com(626) 359-0194 or 358-1490

Local Parishioner

Pregnancy Help Centerof San Gabriel Valley

• Free Pregnancy Test• Counseling• Referrals - Agencies,

Housing, Medical• 24 Hour Hotline (818) 444-HELP• Post Abortion Counseling• Speaker’s Bureau

5626 N. Rosemead Blvd., Temple City(626) 309-0788

Liturgy Francine Moore (626) 930-0448 Eucharistic Ministers Linda Gutierrez (626) 446-7837 Lectors Christine Hunt (626) 422-3934 Sacristans Kathy Trinaystich (626) 359-6553 Altar Servers Frances Luna (626) 327-6147 Ushers Raul Arias (626) 357-6465 Music Ministry Joella Merten, Dir. (626) 821-0264 Joe Adamski (626) 437-5921 Francine Moore (626) 930-0448 Carlos Orozco (626) 371-6438 Deidre Stadler (626) 357-1433 PARISH ORGANIZATIONS Pastoral Council Mark Lopez (626) 417-8541 Couples/Singles for Christ Perry Rivera (909) 594-6475 Bereavement Gary Cooper (626) 482-5041 Finance Council Jerry Gutierrez (626) 446-7837 Perpetual Adoration/Nite Adoration Leticia Carbajal (626) 277-9429 Rosary Prayer Group Gary Miller rosaryprayers@yahoo.com Meditation Group Pat Arkosy (626) 444-9355 Eucharistic Ministry to the Sick Marie Nimmrich (626) 448-3304 Christian Service Saturdays 10 am-12 Noon Grupo de Oracíón Teresa Villareal (626) 236-0374 Safeguard the Children Dianne Logan (626) 303-6299 Encuentro Matrimonial: Ramiro y Mirna Cabrera (626) 376-1079 Fatima First Saturday Devotion: Jo DeLa Torre (310) 663-1955 Divine Mercy Prayer Group Lupe Sheets (626) 716-1714 Women’s Ministry Joella Merten (626) 821-0264 BLD Prayer Community Kathy Dela Paz (626) 629-0788 Intercession Ministry Gloria Murillo (626) 316-0628 Justice & Peace Ministry Cathlene Wells (626) 840-7966 Prayer Chain Ministry Marie Nimmrich (626) 448-3304

ANNUNCIATION CHURCH 1307 East Longden Avenue, Arcadia CA ~ www.annunciationchurch.net

OFFICE: 2701 Peck Road Monrovia, CA 91016 Telephone: (626) 447-6202 Fax: (626) 447-9834 Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. (Closed for lunch from 12:00—1:00 P.M.) Office Manager Ms. Christine Hunt Ext. 11 Receptionist Mrs. Kathleen Trinaystich Ext. 10 RELIGIOUS EDUCATION 2701 South Peck Road Monrovia, CA 91016 Telephone: (626) 446-1625 Monday & Wednesday 5:00—8:00 P.M. Tuesday & Thursday 2:00—8:00 P.M Closed on Fridays Director Arcie Reza Office Staff: Alexandra Dixon and Jessica Tang Confirmation/Youth Ministry Arcie Reza R.C.I.A. (Adults Only) Sandra Rivera (626) 506-9068 R.C.I.A. for Children/F.I.R.E. Children’s Liturgy Esther and Susan (626) 446-1625

Pastor: Rev. Freddie Chua In Residence: Rev. Eugene Herbert Pastor Emeritus Msgr. Timothy O’Connell

LITURGIES Saturday Evening Vigil 5:30 PM Sunday 7:30 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 10:30 a.m. 12:00 Noon (Español) 3:00 p.m. (Vietnamese) 4:45 p.m.—Liturgy of the Hours Weekday Mass Schedule 8;30 a.m. Mon. Tue. Thurs. Friday Wed. [Marian Devotion] with O.L.O.P.H. Devotion 7:00 P.M. Rosary 7:30 P.M. Mass of the B.V.M. First Friday Schedule 7:45 A.M. Reconciliation 8:30 A.M. Mass & Exposition All Day Adoration 7:30 P.M. Benediction Fatima First Saturday Devotion 7:00 P.M. Adoration 8:00 P.M. Mass Holy Days Vigil: 5:30 P.M. 8:30 A.M. and 7:30 P.M. Reconciliation Saturday: 3:30 to 5:00 P.M. or by appointment Matrimony Six months notice required. Please contact the Parish Office to schedule an appointment with the Pastor. Baptism Please stop by the Parish Office to pick up the necessary paperwork and to be given the name and phone number of the Baptism Catechist to contact and pre-register for your classes. Child Abuse Hotline Reporting Sexual Abuse: (800) 355-2545 Heather T. Banis (213) 637-7650 Ph.D