Subjects:
b. Explain why some Christians go on pilgrimage and the effect that this might have on them. (800 words)
c. ‘There are more important things for Christians to do than to go Pilgrimage’
Do you agree? Give reasons to support your answer and show that you have thought about different points of view. (500 words)
a) I have been on many different pilgrimages
to Lourdes in France, Medugorje in Croatia
and Walsingham in the North of England.
Walsingham is an all round Christian
place of Pilgrimage, there is both a Catholic
Shrine and an Anglican shrine in Walsingham,
as well as the main priory in Walsingham village.
The Catholic Shrine is approximately 1 mile away
from the village of Walsingham and this mile is
called the holy mile. When people are on pilgrimage
to Walsingham, they often walk this Holy Mile in
bare foot, 2-3 times a day. This is done as a sign of
penance, as on most pilgrimages. Whenever I have
been to Walsingham, being a Catholic I have always
stayed at the Catholic shrine with a Catholic organisation
called New dawn or Youth 2000. There are four fields surrounding the shrine and so we camp in tents on th
. . .
For example, Lourdes has a history for miracle healing of physical problems while people are there on pilgrimage. I’m not saying that it is ok just to live your life as normal and then one week a year, making up for it by going to church and praying solidly for a week but I still think that pilgrimage is an important thing to do while you are on your journey of faith. Pilgrimage can have such a great impact on people’s lives that when people get back from the pilgrimage, they want to proclaim Gods word even more and evangelise to those who do not know him. This is because our hearts are so open to Gods love on pilgrimage that he fills us with everything he has. Everyone has their own testimony whether they have been a cradle Catholic and been in the faith all their life or had an amazing conversion experience. I think that pilgrimage can make this work so much better because God is trying to bring everyone closer to him weather they know it or not, God is working within us and by going on pilgrimage, we are making it easier for God to get into our hearts because we are open to him and we are saying “yes”. I know that we should prioritise God over everything but choice to do that becomes much more easy when you are stronger in your faith and as I have already mentioned, pilgrimage can make you grow stronger in your faith and beliefs. And there at Walsingham in this little house shall be held in remembrance the great joy of salutation when St Gabriel told me I should through humanity become the mother of God’s son. The prayerfulness of everyone is so strong, and his or her radiance of God’s love just stands out a mile.
I know that when I first went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with my diocese, I was 10 at the time and I only went because my grandparents were going, but my grandma died just before so my mum and I went instead.
In the 12th century, Walsingham was one of the main shrines in Christendom. God draws people together for a reason, weather we know that reason straight away or find out once we have known the person for a few years. Christians go to these places mainly to get closer to God within their prayer life or to pray for someone else who may be ill or having problems in their faith or life in general.
Essay's Topics
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