CALLED TO SERVE

BENJAMIN BABB and MICHAEL GALLAGHER

Benjamin Babb and Michael Gallagher.

Salvatorian novices blend prayer and action. These young men are no strangers to service. “If I were not a man of service,” Michael Gallagher explains, “I could not call myself a man of faith.” Benjamin Babb, who works with the St. Vincent De Paul Society, adds, “Service, for me, is about finding my own weaknesses, fears and wounds, and using those to connect with people and build a relationship with them. Working with the poor is a profoundly humbling experience for me. It has changed my perspectives of my own life and made me reconsider where I have placed my values.”

For Michael, who ran the Sentenced 2 Christ and U-Knighted in Christ ministries in Tucson, Ariz. and spends time serving and feeding the poor, service is a way to honor God, as well as help others. “I participate in the service experience because I love God and I love all of God’s children. Everything I have was given to me by God, so I share everything God has blessed me with.”

Prayer is an integral part of service for both men. “My prayer is always to have the eyes and heart to see and feel God in the midst of poverty and suffering,” says Michael. Benjamin adds that his service experiences have changed the way he prays: “I pray more gently and have learned that any act of friendship can itself be a prayer that I believe is pleasing to God.”

While prayer is central to their service experiences, both men realize it is only part of the equation. “I began my service with the St. Vincent De Paul Society out of a desire to contribute to my community and to follow the example and words of Christ,” explains Benjamin. “Those experiences were my opportunity to learn that service is best done with a happy heart and with my sleeves rolled up.” Michael adds, “Prayer is only the first half of the solution. Action is the second half.”