In many countries of the world there are great Christian shrines. For many centuries, the flow of Christians who want to visit fertile places has not dried up.
An Orthodox pilgrimage can be called a Christian's journey to holy places or various shrines of the Christian world in order to receive divine grace. At the same time, the main difference between pilgrimage and a simple journey is that in the first case, a person is not just a spectator of historical places, but also seeks to receive beneficial benefits. Pilgrims come to holy places in order to pray, ask God or other holy persons for help in their needs.
Pilgrimage can be performed both to places that are important witnesses of historical evangelical events, and to temples in which specific Christian shrines are located. For example, in the first case, one of the main places for a Christian is Jerusalem. This land is called the Holy Land. In Jerusalem and the vicinity of the city are the places of the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ, as well as the place of his resurrection. Another major Christian holy place of global significance is Bethlehem - the city where the Savior was born.
There are holy places in Russia too. So, they can be called the places of the appearance of various miraculous icons. Some of the most revered holy places in Russia are Diveyevo (there is a women's monastery with the relics of St. Seraphim of Sarov), Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Alexander-Svirsky monastery and other cloisters and temples with their great Christian shrines.
In some churches of the world there are the holy relics of the saints of God, or the so-called secondary relics - particles of the clothes of the Lord, the Mother of God or saints. Orthodox people also travel to these shrines in order to touch a certain object that exudes divine grace, and to turn in a prayer petition, for example, to a saint.
Pilgrimage can also take place to various miraculous sources. On them, believers collect holy water, which they later use for their pious needs.
An Orthodox pilgrimage can also be characterized by the fact that believers, coming to holy places, prepare for the sacrament of the sacrament. A pious tradition for an Orthodox Christian is the confession and acceptance of the Holy Mysteries of Christ in places marked with special divine grace. There are churches in holy places where divine services are performed. Therefore, if there is no language barrier, a believer can confess and receive communion in an Orthodox church.
A Christian on a pilgrimage may not just be an ordinary traveler, but a concrete participant in the life of the Church and its history.
