Dom Lawrence Scupoli, in his The Spiritual Combat, says that we should do everything from the pure motive of wanting to do the Will of God...not just to gain Heaven or avoid Hell...not just to be well thought of by others, but purely because we want to please Almighty God by doing His Holy Will. He writes:

"One cannot imagine what efficacy this motive has, since the least action performed for His holy sake, although ever so inconsiderable, far surpasses many others, though of much greater moment, when executed with another view....This holy practice of performing our actions with the sole intention of pleasing God, may carry some difficulty with it at first, but time will render it familiar and even delightful, if we use ourselves [get ourselves used to] seek[ing] God in the sincerity of our hearts; if we sigh continually after Him as the only and sovereign good, deserving to be sought, valued, and loved by all His creatures beyond anything else."

Imagine the peace of soul we would experience if every little action of ours was performed just for Him? When things didn't work out, it would be His Will. And when things did work the way we hoped, all would redound to His Greater Glory. He would give us the greatest serenity and tranquility imaginable.

St. John of God (1495-1550), the saint for today, gave us the following mighty example. Though we may not be asked to imitate it specifically, it can inspire us to greater courage in the things we are asked to do, and in the motive for which we do them:

"A great fire broke out in the hospital at Granada [Spain]. St. John, fearlessly passing through the flames, went from room to room and brought out the sick, and saved much of the furniture, he himself escaping without the slightest harm, though he was exposed to the fury of the flames for half an hour. The flame of Divine love which burned in his heart surpassed the intensity of the material fire."

 ~ Fr. Francis Xavier Weninger, St. John of God, Founder of the Order of Charity, 1877.