The goal of the labyrinth is not to engage the thinking mind, but rather the intuitive mind
The labyrinth is not a maze. There are no tricks to it, and no dead ends. It is a well-defined path that leads into the center and back out again. The path is in full view, which allows a person to be quiet and focus internally. The labyrinth is a tool that gives shape to meditation and prayer. Its winding path purposefully knocks the rational mind “off balance” and allows the heart to focus beyond the distractions of this busy world.

In religious settings, the labyrinth has been revived as a spiritual tool. It has a wide appeal, inviting us to travel inward and then outward, to open ourselves to new possibilities, to cast off and take up new ways of thinking and being. Jesus says, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end: behold, I make all things new.”

The Labyrinth “In Hand”

If you are physically unable to walk the labyrinth here at St. John’s, you may wish to use our tactile labyrinth, which is mounted on a stone. You may follow the path with your finger, and use the same prayers and meditative thoughts as if you were walking the labyrinth. When you do not have access to a labyrinth that can be walked, you may still use the labyrinth as a spiritual exercise. You can purchase or make a hand-held labyrinth. Printed within, is a copy of the famous labyrinth from Chartres Cathedral in France which you may use as a tool for prayer and meditation.

More information about the labyrinth movement is available from veriditas. Clicking will open a new site.