Joyful Witness / Kimberly Pohovey

Emptying oneself leaves room for God to fill us with gifts to share

I spent the first week of October attending the International Catholic Stewardship Conference (ICSC). It is a gathering of 700 Catholic professionals who serve the Church in areas of marketing, evangelization, stewardship and fundraising. Religious and lay persons from all over the U.S. and other countries come together for a week of education and idea-sharing.

I love my job. I love my profession. And most of all, I love my Church. I have to admit, though, like any job, there are times when the workload is great, and I grow tired. Sometimes I face negative reactions to my being a fundraiser and, increasingly, I find myself defending the Church and its teachings. It can be exhausting. There are times when I need a “pick-me-up.”

Being immersed in the conference with so many folks like myself who are committed to the mission of the Church and her ministries was what I needed. We all need to feel like what we do in this life is worthwhile. It was affirming to share experiences with colleagues in other Catholic dioceses and remember that we all serve the same mission and the same God. I was also inspired by some of the keynote speakers. A standout was Bishop James R. Golka of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo.

I understand the need for balance in all things. However, I have to say it has always made me feel uneasy in conversations in which folks prioritize self-care above all else. While we are bombarded with messages of self-indulgence in today’s society, Bishop Golka spoke of the opposite.

The focus of his talk was stewardship, but his perspective was on emptying oneself. He explained stewardship as “receiving gifts that don’t belong to you, nurturing them, and then giving them away.”

He spoke of kenosis, which is a Greek term meaning “to empty.” Only when we empty ourselves can we accept God’s gifts and be filled with his spirit. Our duty as Christians is to enter into a loop of grace as we continually empty ourselves, accept God’s gifts and give them away.

When we fill ourselves with our own selfish desires or fixate on accumulating wealth or material items, we leave no room for God to fill us.

During his talk, Bishop Golka related a story of being invited to a parishioner’s birthday party for her grandson. As he entered the home with a gift in tow, the grandmother told him to return the gift to his car as their family tradition is not to accept presents on their birthdays. Instead, the birthday boy carefully made and distributed gifts to each of his invited guests. At first, Bishop Golka said he thought the whole idea was crazy, but then he saw the look of absolute joy on the boy’s face as he gave his treasured gifts away. This is what God wants of us, too.

I am but a very small cog in God’s great design for his Church. But my experience at this conference reminded me that my role is to help others be generous. I get to participate in that great loop of grace that allows people to give for the sake of others. What could be more rewarding than that?
 

(Kimberly Pohovey is a member of St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis. She is the director of major and planned gifts for the archdiocese.) †