I discovered this method of prayer and meditation during my recent retreat at the Don Bosco Batulao Retreat House in Batangas. It is called The Labyrinth and as the name suggests, it is like a maze where you start at one point then you have to go through a series of twists and turns to be able to get to the end point.
It is the first time I've heard of such and I could say it is an interesting find. I have always known the Chapel on the Hill as a famous wedding church in this area but I didn't know it was more than that. The labyrinth was indeed a good exercise for prayer and meditation and one that I would love to do again and again and again.
WHAT IS IT?
The labyrinth is a sacred circle with a single path that leads to its center. Walking the path leads itself to prayer and meditation. This kinesthetic style of prayer is especially valuable during those times when words cannot express the depths of heights of our experience.
HISTORY:
The labyrinth has a long history in the Christian tradition. During the MiddleAges, it was customary for the faithful to vow to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Since travel at that time was both dangerous and expensive, seven cathedrals throughout Europe were designed as alternate sites where pilgrims could journey to fulfill their vows through walking the labyrinth.
HOW TO USE IT: THE FOUR MOVEMENTS
1. ON THE THRESHHOLD - Remove your shoes as an act of humility and letting go and to connect yourself to the earth. A truly spiritual person is very grounded. You may even bend to touch the ground to connect with the energies of the earth and the labyrinth. Bless yourself with holy water as an absolution and purification readying yourself to receive God's presence. Pause for a while in front of the entrance and say a short prayer to focus and to call for a guide.
2. JOURNEYING IN - Try not to suppress the feelings that arise as you walk, instead embrace them. The twist and turns help you to shed layers of attachments, worry, anxiety, biases, distractions that prevent opening up to God's will. These also enable the mind to stop chattering. The walk sharpens perception and readies the soul. Enjoying the twists and turns can help us to accept the changes in our lives. What may seem like retrogression or being lost is actually a moving on towards the central goal. In this way the journey is reassuring, reminding us that life is full of changes that we should not fear but welcome.
3. THE RESTING PLACE - In this open space you may sit, breathe and be still. Here receive a blessing through your own crown or your feet. It may be a gift of a word, a feeling or just stillness. Open your mind to the experience. This is where something new may take root and blossom, where you can let light to the center of your heart. Notice what you may be too rushed to see; ask a question you normally are afraid to ask; it my be the place to express a hidden beauty, joy or grief. Emptied of distractions you now have the opportunity to be filled.
4. JOURNEYING OUT - When you feel ready to leave the center, give thanks for whatever you have found or received and begin your journey out. You may feel faster, lighter and funnier than you did on the way in. When you reach the exit, pause, give thanks, and rest. You may feel the need to express your journey in words, or with images on paper or want to express your experience with another pilgrim.
PRAYERFUL WAYS OF APPROACHING YOUR LABYRINTH WALK
1. OPENNESS
"God what do you want me to know? What do you want to show me?"
2. INTERCESSORY PRAYER
"God, I walk to communicate with you about this person, situation, need...."
3. IN HONOR OF A SIGNIFICANT DATE OR TRANSITION
"Thank you, God, that I have new opportunity"
4. USE A PRAYER PHRASE
Repeat one of God's names that has particular meaning for you (e.g. "Jesus, Jesus...") or a spiritual word that has significance for you (e.g. "love, love, love...")
5. REFLECTION
Reflect on your life or something significant that is concerning you right now. Observe whatever thoughts, impressions, or feelings that come - "God, help me to pay attention to what is going on inside and outside of me."
6. AS A NEW APPROACH TO AN OLD PROBLEM
"God, I need to talk with you and gain new insight or commitment about this situation...."
7. WALKING WITH A QUESTION THAT IS HAPPENING TO YOU
Identify a central question in your life. Walk with that question in your mind and heart. "God, I am wondering what I need to do next in my life... what input do you have? Or repeat as you walk, "What is my next step? Or if you are unsure of the question, use "What do I seek?"
The labyrinth invites us to consider how intricately we are fashioned - how God continues to knit us, continues to hold us in a loving gaze, continues to be intricately involved in our ongoing fashioning. The labyrinth is a path to connect us to the still small voice, the sacred within ourselves.
The Labyrinth - Journey to Inner Peace
Chapel on the Hill
Don Bosco Batulao, Nasugbu, Batangas
Telefax: (02) 743-5614
Mobile No. 0926-616-3302 / 0917-524-7192
E-mail: batulaodonbosco@yahoo.com
chapelonthehill@yahoo.com
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