In preparation for the summer “Walk To Madrid” program, the Simon Recreation Center and Eckelkamp Center for Campus Ministry are inviting the SLU community to “walk a sacred path.”
From Wednesday, May 25 through Thursday, June 2, the Campus Ministry Labyrinth will be available in the Simon Recreation Center main level multipurpose room. Participants must present a SLU ID at the Simon Recreation main entry desk for access (non-member access is for Labyrinth use only and does not include full use of the Simon Recreation Center). Daily hours are Monday – Friday 6 am to 9 pm, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 9 pm. For more information contact walktomadrid@slu.edu.
Labyrinths can be found from ancient Egypt to Crete to Celtic, Scandinavian and Native American cultures. Historically, the labyrinth had two functions: to simulate a Christian’s pilgrimage to Jerusalem or to be an act of repentance. For the pilgrim, walking the labyrinth symbolized the quest and search to become closer to God. For the penitent, the labyrinth was walked on one’s knees as a form of penance. [Source: http://www.lessons4living.com/chartres_labyrinth.htm]
Two of the most popular labyrinths are located in cathedrals, Chartres Cathedral in France and Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. Labyrinths have become popular in recent years.
Unlike a maze, the labyrinth has only one path which leads to the center and out again. The path winds throughout and becomes a mirror for the pilgrims. Walking a labyrinth is a spiritual exercise. This method of prayer invites one to use one’s body, through the means of walking the labyrinth path, to help one’s spirit to come to tranquility and stillness. This “walking meditation” is very much aligned with St. Ignatius of Loyola’s encouragement to use all of one’s senses when praying.
The Campus Ministry Labyrinth was purchased in 1998 to provide the SLU community with an opportunity to experience this spiritual exercise of “centering prayer.” Walking the labyrinth is a prayer experience which is open to men and women of all faiths.
The SLU labyrinth is based on the design of the labyrinth in the Chartes Cathedral which was created around 1220. The Chartes Cathedral design is an eleven circuit which is divided into four quadrants. The SLU labyrinth is a portable labyrinth made of white parachute silk, on which the paths are silkscreened in blue. The paths are marked out by small, blue fleur-de-lis.
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