The Art of Giving

Prayer for Generosity (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.

This prayer is from my children’s school who teaches them generosity. When my daughter was a little girl, she used to give out all her best things to others. I used to teach her: “Every man for himself and the devil takes the hindmost. (人不為己，天誅地滅)” In 1998, I attended my girl’s first mass at Northwood St Ignatius church. Father Bowler said: “We are born for others.” This statement stroke right into my head which made me realized I was wrong all the way. I told my girl when I picked her up from school. I said: “Mummy is wrong in teaching you this world is only for our-selves. Today what father Bowler said is correct and we should give our hands to others.” From then on we have tried to live by this prayer.

I remember when I was young, there was an occasion that I saw someone approaching my father outside my school. He cried for help. He told my father someone in his family passed away and had no money for the funeral. My father took his money from his wallet, without counting and gave all of it to that man. I asked my father: “Do you know that man?” my father replied: “Vaguely… Why?” I said if he didn’t know that man well, why did he give all his money to him. My father said: “Who would make a joke about their relative’s death to get money?” This image of giving has imprinted in my memory until today. Today I asked my father whether he remembered what he has done. He said: “No, why bother to remember all these things. Life has many important things for us to do and remember.” To him, helping someone is a way of life, nothing really special. My parents used to take us to do charity when we were little. He gave out his time, talent, money, goods and many more to whoever who needed it the most.

We can give not only money but our recommendation, our good advice, our time, our smile, our laughter, our skills, our encouragement, our affection, our blood and even our body part. The main thing for giving is not to count the cost as the prayer teaches us. Once you give then please don’t think how other people use your gift.