"Teach us to give and not to count the cost"

Saint Ignatius invites us into a transformative approach to generosity—a giving that is self-forgetful and unconcerned with calculations or self-interest. To give and not to count the cost is to let go of tallying up what one might lose or measuring what will be received in return. Instead, it is an embrace of wholeheartedness, where the act of giving itself becomes the goal rather than any resulting benefit.

Such a mindset calls for a deep trust and surrender. When one gives without counting the cost, there is a movement away from scarcity and fear toward freedom and abundance. The heart learns to rest in the knowledge that love is not diminished by sharing but is, instead, multiplied and enriched. This kind of generosity often reaches beyond material resources; it encompasses time, energy, compassion, forgiveness, and presence.

Rather than pausing to weigh sacrifices or to ensure that one is not being “taken advantage of,” Saint Ignatius suggests cultivating an interior disposition where generosity flows naturally and joyfully. This may run counter to prevailing cultural attitudes that prize self-preservation, reciprocity, and the careful guarding of one’s assets. It challenges a person to open their life more radically, remaining available to others even when it is inconvenient or costly.

Not counting the cost is not an invitation to be reckless or to disregard personal boundaries, but rather to transcend self-centered motives. In doing so, one experiences a mysterious paradox: the more one gives without reservation, the more one receives—sometimes not in material rewards, but in spiritual fulfillment, courage, and a deepened sense of love and connection. Through such uncalculated giving, life itself becomes touched by grace, suffused with meaning and hope.