By Jeff Schinstock
Director of evangelization and catechesis,
Director for pro-life activities
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:12). These ancient words of King David echo through the ages as a cry for interior renewal. Renewal is always necessary in the Church, and renewal must be local. Worrying about fixing far-away problems doesn’t change our reality for the good. The Church is universal, but she is also local with our diocese, our parish and ultimately, me.
As Catholics in the Diocese of Lincoln embark on the implementation of the One Heart in Christ pastoral plan, the question before each of us needs to become deeply personal: How do I, as an individual disciple in a local parish, respond to this call to renewal and mission?
The great Spanish Franciscan reformer St. Peter of Alcántara (1499-1562) once said, “Truly, matters in the world are in a bad state; but if you and I begin in earnest to reform ourselves, a really good beginning will have been made.” St. Peter Alcántara lived five centuries ago. It was a time of real challenges in the Church, and social upheaval. Our time has those same cultural markings and his insight remains strikingly relevant. St. Peter witnessed a Church and society in need of deep conversion. His response was not despair, but a radical interior reform rooted in prayer, humility, and obedience to Christ.
St. Peter of Alcántara’s life teaches us that the transformation of the world begins with the transformation of hearts. Before we can lead others, teach others, serve others, we must first confront the places in our own lives where we have pulled away from Christ and formed habits that dull our love for God and neighbor.
The One Heart in Christ pastoral plan is organized around four pillars: Healthy Parishes, Education, Religious Vocations, and Holy Marriage and Family Life.
Following the guide of St. Peter Alcántara, we see that interior work is not optional for the Christian. It is foundational. So, when the plan calls us to build Healthy Parishes, it first asks: Am I cultivating a healthy, flourishing spiritual life?
Let’s look at practical ways an individual disciple can respond to each pillar, not with lofty programs alone, but with daily intentional choices.
First, healthy parishes. A healthy parish is about so much more than programs. It is a community where people encounter Christ and each other with warmth and generosity. The call to renewal is a call to Christ himself. So we seek him first in the sacraments. A healthy examination of conscience would ask: do I attend the sacraments regularly? Do I participate in Mass and confession? Am I seeking Christ in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament? Do I do these things, not out of obligation, but with the intention to meet Christ?
Am I living out that sacramental joy and inviting others? St. Peter the Apostle told us, “Always be prepared to make a defense to anyone who calls you to account for the hope that is in you, yet do it with gentleness and reverence” (1 Peter 3:15). Living this out attracts others who want to experience the hope you have. When you encounter them, greet them in a way that invites them to find Jesus in your hope.
The second pillar is Education. It isn’t just for children, it’s for all of us, if we want to be lifelong disciples. The author John Maxwell famously said “more is caught than taught, you can teach your kids what you know but you reproduce what you are.” We need to heed the Church’s call that parents are the primary educators of their children. That often means sharpening our own faith life. This includes the intellectual life of faith, but is not limited to it! Faith deepened becomes faith shared.
Our third pillar is vocations. They are the fruit of prayer and witness. Again, we are called to an examination. We should pray daily for vocations. For priests, religious sisters and brothers and offer that prayer for your parish community. But we should first pray that God makes us generous with our own children. If God calls them, we need to encourage them to live that call. We also need to encourage other young people who show signs of a generous heart to consider priesthood or religious life. Sometimes the simplest encouragement can open someone to a life of radical gift.
Finally, we look at the fourth pillar, holy marriage and family life. Families are the domestic Church. The Catechism of the Catholic Church calls family the “original cell of social life.” We need to make prayer a habit in our homes: the blessing before meals, bedtime prayer, and personal prayer. Praying together as a family and for the family brings our hearts closer to God’s.
Renewal in the family also calls us to the difficult work of practicing forgiveness and patience. Strong families shape strong parishes and strong parishes shape lifelong followers of Jesus.
Renewal, like St. Peter of Alcántara knew, is not a one-time event. It is a lifelong journey. Let us all pray for success in this plan. Success will look like being set apart for God. It will look like mission being lived all around us. Lord, let this diocese experience beautiful, life giving renewal, and let it start in my heart.
Editor's Note: Read or listen to the Pastoral Plan at lincolndiocese.org/oneheartinchrist
