Explain the part pilgrimage plays in the religious life of Christians.

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Explain the part pilgrimage plays in the religious life of Christians. In your answer include reference to the places of pilgrimage you have mentioned in AO1.

Pilgrimage, although not as important as in some religions, plays a very important role in the life of a Christian. After going to a place of pilgrimage such as Lourdes or Lough Derg, a Christian may feel renewed strength in their faith and make lifestyle changes because of it. There are many practices that could provoke changes, and these go on in both Lourdes and Lough Derg.

Becoming more in touch with your relationship with God is a central aspect of pilgrimage. In the chaos of every day life, many people lose the sense of an intimate relationship with God and pilgrimage helps to restore this feeling. In Lough Derg, as was said in AO1, is centralized around walking in the footsteps of St. Patrick. This helps people have a link with God because a saint is said to be extremely holy and closer to God than those of us on Earth. However, at Lough Derg there may be some people who are not so dedicated to their faith will react negatively to the sacrifices and feel it is a waste of time. The same applies for Lourdes in the sense that people pray at the Grotto to Mary in hope that she can pass their prayers on to God. This may affect someone’s lifestyle because they might, after feeling a connection with God, go to Church more often to experience the feeling more often. The intimate connection may cause them to pray more often so to have a more private connection with God. This aspect of Lourdes will be especially important to a Catholic as they hold Mary in much more importance than to a Protestant or a member of the Baptist Church.

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Many people travel many miles to reach a place of pilgrimage and this is a gesture of devotion to God. In fact, one of the reasons people go on pilgrimage is to do just that. It is not only the journey but also in the practices that are carried out there. In Lough Derg people have to walk bare foot and fast for three days. These sacrifices are a way to show your devotion to God. Also, praying is also a way to demonstrate loyalty to God. When a pilgrim comes back to every day life, he or she ...

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