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.

From my college years up to today, the Prayer for Generosity is the prayer that reminds me most of the Ateneo. I think of it as the quintessential Ateneo prayer that perfectly reflects the Atenean tagline “men and women for others.”  Doing a quick survey among my colleagues on the prayer that they associate the most with the Ateneo, I got the resounding response, “Prayer for Generosity!”  

It’s a prayer I easily memorized back then and happily taught to my first students in another school.  Now, as a teacher at the Grade School, we commonly recite it in meetings and classes and sing both the Filipino and English versions in liturgical celebrations. So, yes, I identify the Prayer for Generosity as my favorite prayer.

Ironically, while I consider this as a favorite, I also find it as one of the hardest to meaningfully pray. Generosity—to open oneself, to give of oneself, to give oneself—is not so easy to live out. It is very challenging to choose to give, let alone go the extra mile, when you are tired or hurt, or you feel unappreciated or taken advantage of.  And yet, I am certain that I am meant to overcome these feelings and be able to still give. There is always this tension between wanting to give more and needing to keep something for myself.  I am reminded of Jesus’ words to Peter, “…the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt. 26:41)  But nonetheless, I agree that we are intrinsically and substantially meant to be in communion with others. Our genes carry a generosity strand (though it doesn’t seem to activate on its own). We are meant to be generous. However, this belief does not necessarily make things easier for me. I still have to struggle, to persist, and to endure. 
 

Thanks to St. Ignatius, the prayer rightfully begins with a call to the Source. And from this, I draw my consolation: I have the best teacher, no less than My Lord, by my side. Whenever I pray, I find myself truly begging God for the grace to be open to learn to be generous.  No matter how many times I say this prayer, there is always an area in my life where generosity is called for— relationships, family life, community, work, and the list goes on. I am always in the learning process, and I don’t see yet if mastery is ever achievable.  

Each time I step on the platform of the classroom for the opening or closing prayer, and I close my eyes and join my hands, I am on an equal footing with my students. We are all learners putting our trust in our Teacher and hoping to understand how we can open ourselves, give of ourselves, and give ourselves the way we are called to.

Ma. Adeinev Reyes-Espiritu is a teacher at the Ateneo Grade School.