Prayer:Prayer for Generosity
Stored: Prayer for Generosity
| Prayer for Generosity | |
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| Author | Unknown |
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| Language | English |
| Approval | None |
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| Added on | 2026-08-13 |
The Prayer for Generosity is one of the most beloved and widely known prayers in the Catholic tradition, attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits). It distills the heart of Ignatian spirituality into a brief but profound petition, calling the soul to surrender self-interest entirely in favor of loving service to God. The prayer has been embraced by countless Catholics, religious communities, and seekers of all backgrounds for its radical and challenging vision of Christian discipleship.
The prayer is frequently used in Jesuit schools, parishes, retreat houses, and personal devotion throughout the world. Its compact and memorable form makes it accessible to all ages, while its theological depth rewards extended meditation. It stands as a summary of the Ignatian ideal: to labor for God without calculation, complaint, or expectation of earthly recompense.
St. Ignatius himself was a man transformed by a dramatic conversion from worldly ambition to selfless service of God, and the sentiments expressed in this prayer reflect the spiritual journey he undertook and described in his Spiritual Exercises. To pray this prayer sincerely is to enter into the spirit of total gift that characterized his life and mission.
The Prayer
Prayer for Generosity Attributed to St. Ignatius of Loyola
- Lord, teach me to be generous.
- Teach me to serve You as You deserve;
- to give and not to count the cost;
- to fight and not to heed the wounds;
- to toil and not to seek for rest;
- to labor and not to ask for reward,
- save that of knowing that I do Your will.
History and Background
St. Ignatius of Loyola was born Íñigo López de Loyola in 1491 in the Basque region of Spain. A nobleman and soldier by training, he underwent a profound conversion during his recovery from wounds sustained in the Battle of Pamplona in 1521. During his long convalescence, he read the lives of the saints and a life of Christ, experiences that set him on the path to radical Christian discipleship. The spirituality he developed over the following years, eventually codified in his Spiritual Exercises, centered on discerning and doing the will of God with total abandon.
The Prayer for Generosity encapsulates the spirit of the Spiritual Exercises, particularly the famous meditation known as the Suscipe (Take, Lord, and Receive), in which the retreatant offers God everything — memory, understanding, will, liberty, and all possessions — asking only for God's love and grace in return. While the exact origin of the Prayer for Generosity as a distinct text is sometimes questioned by scholars, who note it does not appear verbatim in Ignatius's own authenticated writings, it has been consistently associated with him and the Jesuit tradition for centuries, and its content is entirely in harmony with his documented thought.
The prayer gained renewed prominence in the twentieth century as Jesuit education expanded globally. It became a fixture in the prayer life of students at Jesuit schools and universities, and was frequently cited by Jesuit-trained leaders in public life. Pope Francis, himself a Jesuit, has commended the spirit of this prayer on multiple occasions, reflecting its enduring relevance to the Church's mission.
The phrase "to give and not to count the cost" in particular has entered into broader Catholic and Christian devotional vocabulary as a concise expression of agape — selfless, unconditional love — translated into concrete action. The prayer stands in the tradition of total consecration spiritualities and resonates deeply with the teachings of St. Paul on love in 1 Corinthians 13 and the example of Christ's own self-emptying described in Philippians 2.
How to Pray / Devotional Use
The Prayer for Generosity is suitable for use in a wide variety of devotional contexts and is especially recommended in the following settings:
Personal Daily Prayer
Many spiritual directors recommend praying this prayer at the beginning of the day as a morning offering, placing all one's works and sufferings into God's hands before the day's activity begins. It pairs well with an examination of conscience at the day's close, allowing the pray-er to reflect on how generously they have in fact served God and neighbor throughout the day.
Ignatian Retreats
In the context of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, this prayer is most appropriately used during the Third and Fourth Weeks, when the retreatant contemplates the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ and is invited to enter into deeper union with the self-giving love of Jesus. It serves as a personal response to the graces received in these profound contemplations.
Communal and Liturgical Settings
The prayer is widely used at the opening or closing of meetings of Jesuit-affiliated organizations, school gatherings, parish missions, and service retreats. Its petitionary structure and rhythm make it suitable for group recitation, either in unison or responsively.
Novenas and Feast Day Devotion
The feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola is celebrated on July 31. Praying this prayer as part of a novena leading up to or on his feast day is a fitting way to honor his memory and ask for his intercession in growing in the virtue of generosity. It may be prayed alongside the Suscipe of St. Ignatius and the Prayer of St. Ignatius Before Communion for a fuller experience of Ignatian devotion.
Service and Mission Contexts
Given its explicit focus on service, this prayer is particularly appropriate before works of charity, missionary activity, catechetical service, or any apostolic undertaking. Volunteers, missionaries, teachers, and healthcare workers within the Catholic tradition have long drawn strength from its words.
Lectio Divina and Contemplative Prayer
The individual lines of this prayer lend themselves naturally to slow, meditative repetition. One method of praying it contemplatively is to take a single phrase — such as "to give and not to count the cost" — and sit with it in silence, allowing the Holy Spirit to illuminate its meaning in one's own particular life circumstances.