Pilgrimages: Jerusalem Essay

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Pilgrimages

A pilgrimage is a journey made for religious reasons, often to a shrine or place that is important to someone’s faith
A person who goes on such as journey is a pilgrim
Pilgrims may travel alone or in a group to a special place where they take part in ceremonies and encounter objects and architecture associated with their religion
People make pilgrimages to special places connected to their religion or beliefs
It may be a place linked to their religion’s founder or a prophet or leader in the faith, e.g. their place of birth or death, or where the religion’s headquarters are
It may be significant in the history of the religion, where something important took place that made a difference to the way the religion developed
It may be a place where something extraordinary happened, e.g. a miracle, which shows how the presence of God can affect human beings
It may be a place where the relics (an object of religious veneration especially a piece of the body or a personal item of a holy person) of a saint or prophet are kept
It may be a place with special architecture, e.g. a church, temple or shrine, or objects like statues, icons or tombs of holy people that inspire awe. The spiritual power of the place is shown in its physical grandeur

Why people make a pilgrimage:
Many pilgrims wish to get close to the origins of their faith and follow in the footsteps of their founder or prophet as it helps believers to visualise where the founder or prophet walked, taught or experienced religious truth, and to experience personally what it must have been like to be there at that time
Pilgrimage reminds people of the key events in their faith or focuses on a particular aspect
It requires great commitment and sometimes physical hardship
It may be a merit-making activity, which brings good kamma (karma) for future rebirth
Many pilgrims wish to be forgiven for their sins
There may be some hope for a miracle, or for spiritual healing, if they are suffering from illness or hardship
For some, it is a religious duty, for others the fulfilment of a vow
Many people find pilgrimage a life-changing experience, particularly being part of a large community of believers from their faith
Pilgrimage provides an opportunity for believers to refresh their faith – by showing spiritual discipline and expressing their feelings of devotion, they may commit themselves more fully to the teachings and practices of their religion, and this commitment will last long after their pilgrimage ends
Pilgrimages in Christianity:

Why:
To be cured of an illness
To express sorrow for sin and receive forgiveness
To experience a holy place
To meet others who share their faith
To help sick or disabled people
Spiritual discipline – people may want to show God that they are devoted to him and want to know him better
Visiting biblical scenes (such as in Jerusalem) can help the pilgrim to picture scenes more clearly and so understand the bible more
A pilgrimage can break from everyday life to give time for the person to concentrate on their faith for a while and then try to fit what they discover onto their home lives
It can give people who are insecure about their faith more confidence as they meet with people who share their beliefs
Some pilgrimage sites are believed to have healing powers, so people go to be healed spiritually, or physically
The journey itself, and the experience of sharing it, bring Christians closer to God and help them learn more about their faith
Many people bring back their religious momentous to help them recall the experience to strengthen their spiritual lives
While there, they will pray, take part in acts of worship or re-enactments of the life of Jesus or a saint, or consult with priests or monks
Many will make donations to symbolise the offering of oneself to God

-Jerusalem:
A holy city for Christians, Jews and Muslims
Christian pilgrims visit Jerusalem because it is where Jesus ended his ministry
His last supper, passion, death, resurrection
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