In the fulfillment of your duties, let your intentions be so pure that you reject from your actions any other motive than the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

St. Pope John Paul II

Very often we seek to understand what “God’s Will is for us”, we ask ourselves “what is my vocation?”. We ardently desire to discover the answer to this question and spend ourselves doing so. With zeal we hasten and in prayer we ask Him; it is no secret to those closest to us, those whom we confide in. We are on a journey to find that permanent state in life which will bring us fulfillment. And it pleases Our Lord to find this kind of zeal in our hearts, He by no means desires we seek anything less. But have we ever entered into the stillness of the heart where Jesus dwells and selflessly asked him, “what do you desire of me?”

In the midst of studies, at the heart of all relationships, at the core of our spirituality, at the start of every day, lies a mission given us by Jesus. This mission does not require tangible discernment to find, it is and has always been within the depth of our being and it is strengthened by prayer. This mission is nothing more than the glory of God and Salvation of souls. A mission most pleasing to God. It is what will bring us greater fulfillment.

The present moment lived in the presence of God gives birth to purity of Intention. This purity is characterized by having a single and undivided desired outcome for every action, word, and deed. Namely,to glorify God and bring others closer to His Sacred Heart. Vocation will come guaranteed. Once it does, we must not be surprised to find that our mission remains the same, it only takes on a different expression. It pleases Him to see the array in which we spend ourselves for His glory. Our petty sacrifice becomes a pure lily and our unseen charity  a beautiful rose. The fragrance of this kind of life given totally over to the service of God and the soul of the other becomes intoxicating,  “a soul that is afire with Divine love cannot remain inactive” (St. Therese).

We are drawn to that which is beautiful and good. Naturally a soul united to Jesus becomes beautifully adorned with his goodness and in this way we are able to draw others to Him. In this way souls can be won for God! It is simple to understand yet difficult to live. But if we preserve the same zeal portrayed in our search for God’s vocational will and apply it to our mission, all else will take its place. Including our vocation.

• The following 12 posts will be focused on St. Alphonsus Liguori’s: 12 Steps To Holiness And Salvation. A book St. Alphosus wrote to reflectively guide us toward a better understanding of how to embrace and bring expression to our universal mission.