Christian spiritual practice - the prayer labyrinth

Today is Maundy Thursday, in Christian practice the commemoration of the day that Christ had his last supper with his disciples, then was betrayed by Judas. It was the day that put the wheels in motion toward his arrest and crucifixion. While Easter celebrates the eternal life available to believers through Christ's rising from the dead, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday convey the enormity of the sacrifice he made on behalf of mankind.

For Christians this is a time of contemplation, and currently some Christian churches are rediscovering the process of the prayer labyrinth.

Wikipedia says that "the Prayer Labyrinth was adopted by the Church across Europe during the medieval times, being often used as a means to meditate, pray and connect with God in a higher spiritual way. Numerous cathedrals in Europe have prayer labytinths embedded into their floors, with the Cathedral of Chartres (Notre-Dame de Chartres Cathedral), located about 80 km from Paris having one of the most famous prayer labyrinths in the world. Prayer Labyrinths were often viewed and modeled as a journey to Jerusalem and were even called Chemin de Jerusalem (Road of Jerusalem) serving as a spiritual pilgrimage for those who could not afford to travel to Jerusalem, the center of the world."

The practitioner enters the path, sometimes assisted by music or guided reading. They move at their own pace and are invited to stop along the path of the labyrinth to pray and meditate. Unlike a maze, which is designed to confound an entrant, the labyrinth has only one path to follow. The end of the labyrinth is visible and the practitioner will reach it if he or she follows the path.

Modern Christian churches that are rediscovering the prayer labyrinth are often doing so in the context of the Lenten season leading up to Good Friday and Easter, when Christians are focused on seeking reconciliation with God. If you are interested in finding a labyrinth, click here for a locator.