The picture of God that emerges from today’s Scriptures is a warm and appealing one. God engages in conversation with Abraham, in a give-and-take that may not sound like our usual forms of prayer. And Jesus uses ordinary human situations to illustrate the kind of prayer that touches God’s heart.

Having just entertained angels in disguise, Abraham now has a visit from God himself who is on his way to Sodom and Gomorrah to check out the rumors he has heard about them. Abraham presumes that God is going to punish these cities, though God never says that. Abraham begins bargaining with God in a way that would be very familiar in a Middle Eastern bazaar, even telling God that punishing a whole city will hurt the innocent as well as the guilty, a practice not worthy of God. God must surely be smiling through this whole exchange as Abraham keeps lowering the number of innocent people needed to save the city, first by fives and then tens. Two conclusions flow from this story: first, that God spares the guilty for the sake of the innocent. Even ten righteous people can save an entire city. And, secondly, that our prayer, like the bargaining of Abraham, needs to be bold and persistent, not for our own sakes but for the benefit of others.

Notice that this is the point of Jesus’ instruction in the gospel as well.  In the example of the man who wakes up his neighbor at midnight and the child who asks his father for something to eat, the favor is granted because it is for the benefit of someone else, not oneself. Jesus doesn’t say whether God will grant our requests for wealth, honor or glory for ourselves. He does promise to grant what we ask for another. The moral of the story seems to be to pray for the needs of others, and ask others to pray for us. One more reason why the Lord calls us to himself by calling us into the fellowship of his church, where we serve him by loving and serving one another.

NEW ON THE WEB SITE

The parish web site (http://www.stwen.org/) now has our three year planning goals posted, as well as a summary of the report of Bishop Madden’s pastoral visit. Coming soon is a file of pictures of Mother Theresa’s relics at our church, thanks to photographer Fred Shoats. The Sunday bulletin is posted each week, as well as a file of previous bulletins and pictures of parish events. We owe a great debt of gratitude to Ken Regester of Millington, TN who has donated the website as well as his service to maintain it.

NEW AND RETURNING MEMBERS

Each fall we begin a new season in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, a process of instruction and formation for those from age 12 and above who:

• Were never baptized
• Were baptized in a different Christian church
• Were baptized Catholic but not raised in the church
• Were once active in the church but have become inactive

The process begins with an inquiry stage where we meet the inquirers and help them chart a course to where the Lord may be leading. Take this time to reach out to family members and friends who may benefit from this experience. For more information, contact  a member of our adult initiation team, Marjorie McDonald, Mary Clayton or Fr. Peter

AFFORDABLE LEGAL ASSISTANCE

The University Of Maryland School Of Law is offering a new service, JustAdvice, whose purpose is to provide affordable legal advice to Baltimore residents. For only $10 Baltimore residents can meet with an attorney for half an hour to discuss any number of legal issues. They will also help with the expungement of criminal records without charge. On the next two Tuesdays, July 27 and August 3, from 12:00 to 3:00 pm attorneys will be available at the School of Law, 500 W. Baltimore St. On next Thursday, July 29, sessions will be held from 2:00 to 5:00 pm at Hollywood Diner, 400 E. Saratoga St. For more information or to make an appointment, call 410-929-4809 or visit justadvice@law.umaryland.edu.

THE ORIOLE ERROR

The Orioles made a major blunder, not on the baseball diamond but in the ticket office July 20. After inviting our youth to be the special guests of the team that night, they called Sunday afternoon to say there was “a mixup,” and they didn’t have tickets for us that day. No further explanation! To make up for the error they are offering us tickets for the August 3 game against the Los Angeles Angels. They will send a bus to the church and provide hats and tee shirts for the kids and hot dogs for all – and pictures of our group on the jumbotron. This calls for another sign-up. Call or stop by the office to request tickets. The bus will leave from the parking lot at 5:45 pm Tuesday, August 3.

LABOR DAY PICNIC

Now that the Crab Feast is behind us, the next big event on the church calendar is our Labor Day picnic, Monday, September 6, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Rocky Point Park on Chesapeake Bay in Baltimore County. Plan ahead and invite family and friends to join us for this special day. Admission to the park is $7 for adults and $3 for children, payable at the gate or in advance at the church. The church bus will once again be making the trip for those who need transportation.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please pray for a speedy recovery for Sheila Lambert. Sheila and Paul’s car was struck by a hit and run driver July 15. Paul escaped with minor injuries, but Sheila remains a patient at Bayview Hospital.

MICA IS COMING

Many have noticed the extensive renovation work going on this summer at the former St. Wenceslaus School. After nearly 20 years as an apartment building run by St. Ambrose Housing, our former school is about to begin a new life as a campus of the Maryland College Institute of Art. The building will house the school’s graduate program in Community Arts. Twenty-four graduate students will live on the upper floors, with classrooms and studios on the lower levels. The Master of Arts in Community Arts is the first of its kind in the nation. The program is grounded in principles of social justice and seeks to prepare visual artists to pursue careers in art-based community development.  It immerses students in intensive work with children, youth and adults in community settings, with most fieldwork being done in the surrounding neighborhoods.  We look forward to a long and mutually enriching relationship with our new neighbors. Let’s prepare to roll out the red carpet to welcome the newest residents on our block when they arrive in September.