Many Christians believe that it is very important to go on a pilgrimage as it helps them develop into better Christians.

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Pilgrimage

Pilgrimage is the name given to a spiritual journey.  There is more depth to a physical journey. It is about what it means spiritually to the individual.  It is an emotional and spiritual journey.  It is a journey from the heart showing love for God.  The definition of true is ‘loyal’ so a true pilgrimage is a journey you take to show loyalty to God.  To become a pilgrim, the person must leave their home and undertake a sacred journey, which may confirm and strengthen their personal beliefs in their religion.  People can go on this journey alone or in a community.  Many places in the world are very exceptional for Christians.  Some are places where Jesus lived, such as Nazareth. Other places are special because a holy person is buried there.   Many Christians go on their pilgrimages to Lourdes and Rome.  People go on journeys to these special, religious places to order their lives in terms of what is good, beautiful and true.  

“Christianity is a journey into Christ a journey that mirrors every Christian mystery through life. As a Christian grows and changes, so he or she tries to move nearer to Christ. A believer’s ultimate hope is to be completely at one with him in eternity, when on the journey, Christians may use the physical act of pilgrimage to help them to focus on the need for spiritual nourishment.” 

People go to these places of worship as here they believe they can fulfil their beliefs, and show their devotion to their religion.  They are making a holy journey.  We call those who go on these special journeys 'pilgrims'.  They do not have to do this, there is nothing in the Bible which tells Christians that they must make pilgrimages.  It is their decision made freely.  Many people regard Lourdes, as a place of miracles and of wonderful and unexplainable events.  A young girl called Bernadette had a vision of the Virgin Mary countless times and in these visions, Bernadette, was told how to find a natural spring.  Many Christians go as they are ill and hope to be cured.  But others go for the same reasons that they go to church.                  Another reason to go on a pilgrimage is to feel some of the holiness of the place and become closer to God.  By becoming closer to God, we can feel like better Christians and this should help us to become better Christians and do as God intended us.  People also go on pilgrimage to seek God’s forgiveness for the sins that they have committed.  Some people go to ask and receive God’s help, like people who have an illness or are disabled in some way, may ask for a cure to heal them.  People can also ask to be healed spiritually, as coming to their pilgrimage centre may make them realise that they have not been leading a good Christian life and it may make them change into good Christians.                                          Rome is another main pilgrimage centres for millions of Catholics.  In Rome, there are 7 pilgrim churches founded when the Roman Empire became Christian.  People have been coming to Rome on a pilgrimage for the past 1600 years.  The Church of St. Peter was built on top of the tomb of St. Peter who was the leader of the 12 apostles and the first ever Pope.  St Paul’s church was built on top of the tomb of St. Paul, the great Christian missionary, who wrote most of the epistles in the New Testament.  Rome is the home of the Pope and the Vatican is the headquarters of the Catholic Church.  A pilgrimage to Rome is very special as it is the home of the Roman Catholic Church.  Lourdes is a Pilgrimage centre which is much more recent, but it still receives over 2 million pilgrims a year.  Water is a very special part of Lourdes a here there are the baths where you are fully immersed in Holy Water.  You feel as if you are being cleansed of your sins, like a believer’s baptism as you are fully immersed in water like Jesus was fully immersed in the water of the river in Jordan when he was baptised by John the Baptist.                                                                                  

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Question 2

Many Christians believe that it is very important to go on a pilgrimage as it helps them develop into better Christians.  As they go to the special, religious centres they become closer to God and begin to understand the religion more.  By praying to God they become much closer, and their beliefs about the religion are greatly strengthened.  The pilgrimage centres really have a great affect on the person spiritually.  By getting away from their normal lives Christians who go on pilgrimages to Lourdes or Rome are filled with a special feeling of belonging when ...

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