There are many Christian practices that could be as important, if not more so than going on pilgrimage, such as charity work, Jesus treated the poor and outcasts with as much respect as any other person, this is shown in the story of the prostitute (Mary Magdalene), Jesus gave her a place to stay and advice. Attending mass every week is also central to Christian practice.
There was no mention of pilgrimage in the 10 commandments. Jesus was once asked which was the most important commandment and said ‘Love God’ and ‘Love your neighbour’. Those for pilgrimage could say that Christians follow these commandments by going on pilgrimage. I conducted a class survey and asked students what a Christian should do, interestingly in our list Pilgrimage came fourth in importance.
It is mentioned in the Bible that Jesus went on pilgrimage twice, both times to Jerusalem for Passover, the first time he was 12 and the Bible shows his final visit just before death. Pilgrimage is a journey of discovery and a declaration of faith. Christians can gain a lot from going on pilgrimage, and by becoming closer to God they can help others do the same.
Some see that the money it costs to go on pilgrimage could be put to better use, like helping the poor, and consider the poverty in our world. Others may argue that the money from going on pilgrimage could, instead, go to charity but once this money is spent it will be gone, after you buy 500 loafs of bread for the poor, those loafs cannot last, and the poor will become poor again. This is illustrated in the Bible, in the Story of the Perfume, where a woman poured a bottle of the most expensive perfume over Jesus, those around her thought she was very odd for anointing Jesus with this expensive gift but Jesus said he will always remember her. The value of this gift has not been wasted but will live on. If the money is spent on pilgrimage, its value can live on, because of what people gain.
Jesus worshipped regularly through his life. He listened in the temple to the preachers. To go to mass for Catholic Christians, means receiving of the Eucharist this helps Christians gain a sense of belonging, and a Church is somewhere where they can express their faith with people around them who feel similar. A downside of public worship is that people can go with no intent of participating and therefore gain little from the experience. Worship on pilgrimage is meaningful because it is with people who believe as much as others do.
After looking at both sides of the argument I have decided to go with the quote, pilgrimage may be important to some people, but it is not crucial. Christians could still lead a good life by following Jesus’ teaching and example. Some people aren’t very well off financially and cannot go on pilgrimage but this doesn’t meant they are any less of a Christian compared to someone who has There are more important things like receiving the Eucharist every week, praying, and helping others.
