Another way in which people may have been affected by pilgrimage is through learning to appreciate one’s own life. One person who made pilgrimage Lourdes illustrated how much the sick loved life, even if they were terminally ill. Pilgrimage is also a chance to get to know one’s self a lot more, as another pilgrim said that they learnt to love themselves a lot more in different ways, and that their week in Lourdes was a very emotional one. A pilgrimage is also a chance for a person to be more aware of the passing of their life and of their limited time on earth. It sets them thinking and helps them to work out a sense of priority through their life
In addition people may have been affected by pilgrimage through the experience of acceptance. In one way, someone on a trip to Lourdes will have experienced the feeling of being accepted for who they were, feeling a sense of belonging, and made many new friends and acquaintances, most of which were likely to stay in touch even once the pilgrimage was over. One pilgrim said that the united friendly atmosphere and feeling part of a large family unit for a week was wonderful. Another way of learning acceptance was through accepting things that you couldn’t change. Lourdes is famous for the spring that St Bernadette found that is said to have miraculous healing powers. There have also been proven cases of people who had been cured by the water there. However, there are many people who say that they felt much better after going on pilgrimage to the spring, even if they were not completely cured. Many say that the experience helped them spiritually or emotionally, even though their physical conditions stayed the same. An example of this acceptance is from one woman who was afraid of losing her eyesight. After going to Lourdes, she returned full of life and confidence, even though her problem had not improved. She felt that during the pilgrimage she had been given the strength to accept and cope with her problem.
Furthermore, people’s spiritual lives may have changed a great deal in ways of education, learning more about what they believe in, bringing back the fundamental basis of their faith, and exploring different, new interesting ways of worshipping God. A person’s spiritual life may have also been changed through enhancing their efforts and commitments to God, and may have refreshed people if they were feeling strained or having doubts about their faith. Being amongst others of the same beliefs may have provided hope and encouragement from other pilgrims to be inspired to become closer to God.
