Not our children! @12calledsent

What if our children are the vineyard—and we are only the stewards? In the Mass readings of 4 October 2026, God gives us the powerful image of a vineyard that belongs to Him. He plants it, prepares it and expects it to bear good fruit. In the Gospel, the vineyard is entrusted to tenants—but somewhere along the way, the tenants begin behaving as though the vineyard belongs to them. As parents, we can do the same. God has entrusted us with our children, but they ultimately belong to Him. Yet we can make decisions about their lives, education, friendships, careers and futures without first asking the Owner: “Lord, what do You want for this child?” Sometimes what drives us is love. Sometimes, however, it is anxiety—the fear that our children will disappoint us, fail, make mistakes or produce the “sour grapes” we dread. And right in the middle of these vineyard readings, St Paul tells us: “Have no anxiety at all…” (Philippians 4:6). Perhaps Christian parenting requires a shift from ownership to stewardship: to cultivate, protect, prune and guide—but always in conversation with the One to whom the vineyard belongs. Our children are God’s before they are ours. #CatholicParenting #calledandsent #ChristianParenting #FaithAndFamily #CatholicFaith #ParentingWithGod #MassReadings #Parenting #DrMiriam