Font of Mercy

Where mercy flows from the heart into the world.

From the spiritual works of mercy…

counsel the doubtful
instruct the ignorant
admonish the misguided
comfort the afflicted
model forgiveness

To the corporal works of mercy.

feed the hungry
give drink to the thirsty
clothe the naked
shelter the homeless
visit the sick and imprisoned

The Various Fonts of Mercy

Spiritual
Direction

Experience the mercy of God with a trusted spiritual companion.

My Morning
Reflections

Meet the everyday God through reflections on life and nature.

Retreats
and Talks

Deepen the connection with God in a specialty workshop or retreat.

Ministry
Partners

Share the mercy of God. Support the ministry and put faith into action.

The story behind the Font of Mercy

Founder Scott Gilfillan: blogger, retreat master, and spiritual director. And Mack

The concept of the Font of Mercy is simple:  channel the stipends and donations received through spiritual direction and retreats to help people living on the margins of society:   the homeless, the hungry, and the imprisoned. 

In this way, the ‘font of mercy’ flows from the spiritual to the corporal works of mercy.  Through spiritual direction and specialty retreats, the spiritual works are in full display:  counsel, instruct, comfort, and forgive.  The beneficiaries of these ministries are the hungry, the homeless, and the imprisoned and others Jesus shows a preference to in Matthew 25, “the least among us.” 

The concept of may be simple, but its evolution came after a year of my spiritual director guiding me through the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius (19th Annotation).  Prior to this I thought I had reached the pinnacle of my ministerial service. In 2018, God opened the way for me to be the director of the Catholic Conference Center, a large retreat center in Western North Carolina.  My gifts of administration, preaching, writing, and spiritual direction found fertile ground to germinate and grow.  Just as I was looking ahead to five more years of flourishing in this environment, the Lord let me know in various ways that it’s time to move on.  But was not so clear as to what.  Like Abraham, the Lord told me to pack up all my things and go, but didn’t tell him where. After a couple of months of additional prayer, the concept of the Font of Mercy began to immerge.  It’s a way I can do what brings me great joy, share my gifts with others, and support the people who are dear to my heart.

You can support this ministry by making an inquiry for spiritual direction, talking to me about a future retreat, subscribing to the weekly reflections, or simply making a donation. 

I’ve come to believe that mercy needs to flow for it to flourish.  Jesus said it best in the Beatitudes:  “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.”  (Mt 5:7)

Recent Blog Posts

  • Missing my friend…

    Missing my friend…

    It’s mid-September and I haven’t seen the beaver in a long while. I actually miss him. These feelings of longing remind me of my other lost friendships, not with critters but with people. The pandemic has completely restructured my ‘habitat’. One day I am out doing a lot of fruitful…

  • The Love Debt…

    The Love Debt…

    What do you do if someone sins against you? You don’t ‘vent’. You don’t gossip. You don’t rant. And you definitely don’t post it on Facebook! In the words of Jesus, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.”

  • Staying connected…

    Staying connected…

    With all of the Covid protocols, we have lost these ‘networking’ and communal activities, which directly or indirectly guide our personal growth – even those that are unpleasant and a little challenging at times.

  • Bloom where you’re planted…

    Bloom where you’re planted…

    On my walk back from the dock one morning, I saw a bright orange mushroom shaped like a tiny ballistic missal emerging from the ground. I took a picture. The next morning, I saw the same mushroom only it had opened into full flower – an amazing transformation from one…

  • Three P’s To Pull You Through This Pandemic

    Three P’s To Pull You Through This Pandemic

    And behold, a Canaanite woman of that district came and called out, “Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David!   My daughter is tormented by a demon.”  Mt 15:21-28 There are a lot of similarities between the Canaanite woman and what we’re going through today.

  • Looking beyond the murkiness…

    Looking beyond the murkiness…

    The turtle sees both the things above and the things below. Look with the eyes of the turtle (not the catfish)

  • Conquering the Chaos in Our Lives

    Conquering the Chaos in Our Lives

    One of my employees came into my office for a meeting. I started the conversation by asking, “How are things going?” I was expecting her to answer “Fine.” Instead, she replied, “I feel like I am drowning

  • Awakening to our True Purpose

    Awakening to our True Purpose

    A few days after we brought Mack Swinney home, I took him down to the dock to join me in morning prayer.  All of our previous dogs have been my loyal prayer partners.  I wanted him to become part of this the venerable tradition.  When I looked up from my…

  • Sacrifice, Grace, and the Goose

    Sacrifice, Grace, and the Goose

    As the sun began to brighten the morning sky, two geese quietly swam past the dock.  I happened to have some bread with me, so I tossed out a few pieces.  Wary and alert to any sign of danger they approached cautiously.  The smaller of the two, I assume the…

  • Finding the Kingdom of God in Our Daily Lives

    Finding the Kingdom of God in Our Daily Lives

    Homily for 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time How many people walked across that field without seeing the treasure? How many times do you and I go about our daily routine and completely miss the treasure that is right here before us?