Do you remember the first time you drove onto the property of Well of Mercy? I do. It was shortly after my father died, and my world was heavy with grief. As I made my way up the gravelly hill, something happened—I could breathe deeply again. Almost immediately, I felt a familiar Presence, and my little, sad spirit latched onto a bigger Spirit.

I was in prayer. Not just in prayer as in “I’m talking with God,” but in prayer as in driving through the prayers that swirl in and around this sacred place. The air itself seemed filled with the prayers of those who came before. I walked on a path carpeted with prayers of all shapes and sizes. Just by being here, I was in prayer.

The Power of Prayer During Lent

The Lenten season is an excellent time to be intentionally in prayer. But if we’re honest, sometimes prayer can feel disheartening. We pray, and things still fall apart. We pray, and we still don’t get our way. We pray, and the world’s suffering still marches on. So, what’s the point?

I’ve pondered that question on my visits to Well of Mercy. I feel at peace while I’m here, but then I return to a world filled with chaos. These quiet prayers can seem futile.

But then I came across a sentence by John O’Donohue that shifted my perspective. He wrote:

“It is consoling to remember that there are old and feeble nuns in forgotten convents who live out their days by creating little boats of prayer to ferry nourishment to a hungry world.”

Isn’t that the loveliest sentence you’ve ever read about prayer? I imagine a convent by the sea with little boats setting sail, one after another, each carrying light into the world.

Each Prayer is a Boat of Light

Every time we pray, we send out a little boat of light. Our prayers, though seemingly small, add to the harmony of the world.

When we pray for mercy, we remain mindful of those who need it most—the sick, the caregivers, the jobless. Our prayers may even stir us to action. A call, a visit, or a helping hand becomes the nourishment someone was longing for. Haven’t we just ferried God’s love into the world?

When we pray for unity, perhaps it helps us choose gentler words and softer responses. Our prayers keep us from tearing apart the fragile connections in our lives. Haven’t we just ferried peace into the world?

Come to the Well and Rest in Prayer

So, come to Well of Mercy. Let your prayers rise with the morning mist and drift with the evening breeze. Rest in a hammock. Walk the prayer-soaked paths. Breathe deeply in the quiet.

Come with open hands, and add your strands of prayer to the tapestry beautifully woven here. May we remember that we are so “well” loved as we send forth an entire armada of little boats of prayer, ferrying nourishment into a world that is ever hungry for hope.

Lea Slaton
Executive Director