This
week I met a delightful man who said he wasn't religious. For most of his life
he dug graves or tended to graveyards. That was his job. Now that he's retired
he looks after his local churchyard. It's immaculate! He does it so that it
will look nice for those paying their respects.
He's not
religious but he does pray. He told me he prays this prayer throughout each
day. He knows it by heart and keeps a copy in the drawer where he keeps his
wallet and phone. He prays throughout the day and every time he opens the
drawer to get his phone or wallet, he sees the prayer, he says the prayer.
Dearest
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
labour and not to ask for reward
save
that of knowing I am doing Your Will.
The prayer is generally attributed to Ignatius, Whether he wrote it or not, we don't know. It first appeared as a prayer used by French Scouts. Some think it was first penned by "someone who used to work with youth ...". It's been sung, translated, loved, cherished, learned & recited by many, often.
And the man, who describes himself as 'not religious', is generous, does serve, gives,
fights, toils and labours without recognition or reward. There are wonderful
people all around.
Maybe I
need a drawer of prayers, or to pray every time I pick up my phone or pay for
something. Or maybe, in the vernacular of my new friend, I need to be a little
less religious and a little more prayerful.
And all
this reminded me of an elderly lady I met a coupe of days earlier, who said,
"I don't pray, not really. I just chat to God a lot."