Seeking God Alone
I want nothing displeasing to God, but everything pleasing to him. I seek God alone, I desire to suffer and be despised for him … Oh love of God, enkindle enflame and burn … [my] heart, destroy vice and infuse virtue. (OOCC, X, p. 56; STA, 237)
St. Vincent Pallotti always wanted to do only those things that were pleasing to God and brought glory to him. He never deliberately attempted to do anything that would displease God. The yearning of his heart was to seek God alone. He was ready to suffer and to be despised, if that would bring glory and honor to God. He wished that his heart was enkindled with the fire of the love of God, and was enflamed and burned with the same love always. He desired that the love of God would burn his heart, thereby destroying all forms of vice in him, and infuse in him every virtue which would make him live his life in the way that pleased God. He took great care to do whatever he did in the most perfect manner so that his actions would be pleasing to God. Similarly, he took upon himself the practice of penitential acts when he realized that he had inadvertently performed actions that would displease God. Thus, seeking God alone and doing those things that pleased God were the sole concerns of St. Vincent’s daily life.
Do I seek God in whatever I do or say? Do my actions reflect the motivation of pleasing God in all things? Am I ready to accept hardships and tribulations in order to bring honor and glory to God? Am I penitent when I realize that I have performed actions that have displeased God?
But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things [food, drink and clothing] will be given you besides. (Mt. 6: 33)