Praying the Labyrinth and Stations of the Cross

"If you cannot contemplate high and heavenly things, take refuge in the Passion of Christ, and love to dwell within his Sacred Wounds. For if you devoutly seek the Wounds of Jesus and the precious marks of his Passion, you will find great strength in all troubles." ~Thomas a Kempis

"Since the destination is assured, there are no obstacles to overcome, no muddles to figure out, no dead ends to retrace. What remains for the labyrinth walker is simply the deeply meditative and symbolic discipline of setting one foot in front of the other, of honoring the journey and what it has to teach. The mind can be stilled and attention paid to the body, the wisdom of the heart, and the graces of being rather than doing." ~ Melissa Gayle West, from Exploring the Labyrinth.

One of the deep spiritual moments for me this year at Cornerstone was when I was able to walk and pray the Stations of the Cross within the Labyrinth they had set up on the grounds. I had read about Labyrinths about two years ago in Tony Jone's book, The Sacred Way. I have been wanting to walk one ever since. Needless to say I was excited that it was going to happen in such a perfect setting. A labyrinth is a pattern similar to a maze, but without wrong turns. Every path you walk leads you to the center.

I had prayed Stations of the Cross before at the Catholic school I used to teach at and love this ancient way of meditating on the story of Jesus. It is a moving and imaginative way to remember the passion, death and resurrection. There are usually fourteen or fifteen stations and involve stopping at each station to reflect on each scene. There may be artwork and a prayer included to help one reflect on a particular part of the journey Jesus took in Jerusalem. The stations are as follow:

~ Jesus is Condemned to Die.
~ Jesus Carries His Cross.
~ Jesus Falls the First Time
~ Jesus Meets His Mother
~ Simon Helps Jesus Carry His Cross.
~ Veronica Wipes the Face of Jesus.
~ Jesus Falls the Second TIme.
~ Jesus Meets the Women of Jerusalem.
~ Jesus Falls the Third Time.
~ Jesus is Stripped.
~ Jesus is Nailed to the Cross.
~ Jesus Dies on the Cross.
~ Jesus is Taken Down from the Cross.
~ Jesus is Laid in the Tomb.
~ Jesus is Risen.

When I entered the Labyrinth, I took off my shoes and walked barefoot. They encourage this and I like the idea. The labyrinth is a holy area. Praying at each station contained unique artwork and occasionally something to do. At one station, they had pieces of black paper and pencils. They requested we make a mark on the paper to signify our sin and at another one of the stations we were asked to drop a marble into a vase of water, signifying Jesus taking away our sins. We walked slowly around from station to station stopping to pray along each stop. The sun was beginning to set and there was a cool breeze blowing and I felt so much peace and rest throughout the entire journey. When one finally reached the center, there was an alter with a psalm to read and a chance to pray for another moment or two.

I am grateful to have had the opportunity to experience this moment in time. Nothing is quite as wonderful as praying out in nature. Somehow, I feel closer to God there. However, some great websites are available on-line for praying the Stations of the Cross or even praying an amazing virtual Labyrinth.