Today is Thursday of the 25th week in ordinary time. Let us pray. O God, may the gift of Your grace enable us to move beyond the vanities of the things of this world, and seek instead the truly lasting things of Your kingdom: mercy, justice, compassion, and peace. May our lives not be defined by the things we own and have amassed, but by the integrity of the faith we live, and the generosity of heart and spirit that our faith inspires.