Stewards, Not Owners

Today’s readings.

Jesus’ parable emphasizes that the tenants forget that the vineyard is not theirs, and what was entrusted to them slowly becomes something they treat as their own.  The message hits close to home for those of us entrusted with serving others in the Church—whether in ministry, formation, education, or leadership. It is possible to work so constantly in the things of God that we begin, almost without noticing it, to treat the work as though it were our own. When this happens, success flatters us more than it should, and failure crushes us even more deeply than it should. Experiences like these reveal how easily we have claimed as our own what was only ever entrusted to us. Lent is a good time to remind and rediscover that the work is God’s—the vineyard is God’s. We are not owners, but stewards, and the real question is not whether we are busy in the vineyard, but whether our lives and labor are bearing fruit that points back to the One who planted it.

Today’s Practice – Prayer:

Take three to five minutes today to place your work back into God’s hands. In the moment of prayer, simply say: “Lord, this is your vineyard, not mine. Let whatever I do today bear the fruit you desire.” Hold the people you serve—students, colleagues, families—before God for a moment and entrust them to His care. Let the prayer be a small reminder that the work ultimately belongs to Him.