A Lenten Labyrinth

"The Labyrinth is not a maze. Mazes are meant to cause
us to lose our way; Labyrinths are meant to help us find it.
There is one path that leads into the center and the same path
leads out. The path is not linear (ie., it does not move from the outer path of the circle directly toward the inner path of the circle). Rather, at times when we are the closest to the center on the path, we may actually be farthest from the center distance-wise."
(Taken from 'A Brief Introduction To The Labyrinth')


"God of life, there are days when the burdens we carry chafe our shoulders and wear us down; when the road seems dreary and endless, the skies gray and threatening; when our lives have no music in them and our hearts are lonely, and our souls have lost their courage. Flood the path with light, we beseech you; turn our eyes to where the skies are full of promise,"
-St. Augustine.


"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." - John 8:12


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I went for a Lenten Labyrinth Prayer walk the other day
and it brought me much comfort and peace.

Two big Labyrinths painted on fabric were laid out in the church hall, and the hall was softly lit by candlelight. One by one, we were sent into the Labyrinth, to walk along the narrow, winding pathways, the twists and turns, the very metaphor of our life's journey, laid out in cloth beneath my feet.

There were people ahead of me and behind me, all at different stages, around different turns, all walking the same path.

As I walked barefoot with measured steps within the narrow path,
I was suddenly embraced by the memory of myself as a toddler, reaching up and taking my dad's hand in the midst of a crowded shopping centre.

It was a memory from so long ago, but it brought back that same feeling of being safe and protected and comforted. Just by holding on to that hand, I knew that I would be guided to safety. And my eyes welled with tears.

I am never alone on this path. His hand is ever by my side.
All I have to do is to reach out, to reach up, to hold, to grasp
his big hand. And just like a parent holds the hand of a stumbling toddler and walks along with him, I know that He will never let go of me, unless I struggle to let go of His hand. I may fall, I may stumble, but His ever loving gaze is always upon me. He is ever present by my side.