Framing Generosity

I've always been slightly uncomfortable with parts of St. Ignatius' Prayer for Generosity. I'm particularly uncomfortable with the parts that sound "sacrificial." To give and not to count the cost is unsustainable. To fight and not to heed the wounds is suicidal. To toil and not to seek for rest leads to burn-out. To labor and ask not for reward is unsustainable.

It helps that I realized one day that the punchline of the song isn't those sacrificial parts but the very last line: "Save that of knowing that I do your most Holy Will." Elsewhere, I wrote that if we frame it like this, then all those sacrificial parts only make sense if it is according to His Most Holy Will. Sometimes, as in most development interventions, we must count the costs. More often than not, when we toil, we must seek for rest.

Last night, I realized that the sacrificial parts only make sense if we are clear what we are sacrificing for. And so it might make more sense if the prayer is rendered as follows:

Dearest Lord,
Teach me to be generous,
Teach me to serve you as I should.
To give to you and not to count the costs
To fight for you and not to heed the wounds
To toil for you and not to seek for rest
To labor for you and ask not for reward
Save that of knowing that I do your most Holy Will.

Knowing that I do your most holy will is indeed a very important grace.