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 labor and not to ask reward,

Save that of knowing that I do Your will,

O Lord.

-St. Ignatius Loyola-

I love thee, God, I love thee—

Not out of hope for heaven for me

Nor fearing not to love and be

In the everlasting burning.

Thou, my Jesus, after me

Didst reach thine arms out dying,

For my sake sufferedst nails and lance,

Mocked and marred countenance,

Sorrows passing number,

Sweat and care and cumber,

Yea and death, and this for me,

And thou couldst see me sinning:

Then I, why should not I love thee,

Jesu so much in love with me?

Not for heaven’s sake, not to be

Out of hell by loving thee;

Not for any gains I see;

But just the way that thou didst me

I do love and will love thee.

What must I love thee, Lord, for then?

For being my king and God. Amen.

-St. Francis Xavier-

With great devotion and new depth of feeling,

I hope and beg, O God, that it finally be given to me

to be the servant and minister of Christ the consoler,

the minister of Christ the redeemer,

the minister of Christ the healer,

the liberator, the enricher, the strengthener.

To be able through you to help many--

to console, liberate and give them courage;

to bring them light not only for their spirit

but also for their bodies,

and bring as well other helps to the soul and body

of each and every one of my neighbors.

I ask this through Christ our Lord.

Amen.

-St. Pierre Favre-