Pilgrimage tours as a way to God and yourself

What is a pilgrimage tour? What are the differences from conventional tourism? And for the sake of what from time immemorial pilgrims went to the often dangerous path to the holy lands?

To date, trips to holy places have become much safer and more comfortable, but the meaning and true spirit is preserved. So, why do people choose pilgrimage tours to holy places instead of sightseeing tours? It's not just the beauty of architecture, the history of this or that area, but in the secret of those places. An ancient icon on a pilgrimage tour is not just an art object, but a window into the Kingdom of Heaven, an opportunity to feel that we are not alone in this world, that is, the Lord, the Mother of God, the Holy Trinity, the saints of the Orthodox Church. Trips to holy places - the search for yourself, finding harmony with the world. People from time immemorial sought to visit places that bear the imprint of the Lord himself: Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem ... You might think: why? After all, God is omnipresent and always near to every prayer. But we are constantly distracted by something, various everyday difficulties, hard working days ... And it's so hard to keep up on the proper spiritual height. Therefore, it is on the pilgrimage tour that you can detach yourself from all vain things, pray for close people, and reflect on the soul and the true path.

It should be noted that tours to holy places are not always the same, differ in the ratio of directly pilgrimage and Orthodox tourism. There are several types of such trips to holy places:

• Pilgrimage. On such trips there is always a divine service (mainly liturgy), prayer services, reading of glorifications. The historical aspect is also there, but, as a rule, we are talking about direct Orthodox events in this area: the life of saints, persecution, the appearance of the monastery, the protection of monasteries from enemies.

These include trips to the holy places of Russia (for example, in Diveevo), Ukraine, Serbia, Belarus, St. Athos to Greece and the Holy Land to Israel.

• Pilgrimage plus Christian tourism. Also, services are held, prayer services, but in addition the guide can tell about the pre-Christian history of this or that area, and also will take tourists on an excursion to local sights and landmarks.

As a rule, these are trips to North America and Europe. For example, in Paris, pilgrims will see not only the Crown of the Savior in the cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris, but also visit Montmartre, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs Elysees. And in the US they will visit Russian monasteries and temples, they will worship the icon "The Kursk Root" - the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as see the famous Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon.

• The predominant share of Christian tourism. For example, the Ethiopian church - Coptic, diverges in dogmas with the Russian Orthodox, therefore, it is canonically forbidden to take part in the worship service. But it is from the point of view of Christianity that this is a very interesting journey, because ancient temples and icon painting are still preserved there.

• Pilgrimage plus rest. Cyprus is the island where the sarcophagus is, in which Lazarus rested; The island where the apostles Barnabas and Paul preached. In the local Kikksky monastery is still kept the miraculous icon of the Blessed Virgin. But Cyprus - an island is small, so after returning from an Orthodox excursion you can relax on the beach, swim in the warm Mediterranean Sea.

Who goes to the Orthodox tour? Ordinary people of all ages and classes. Yes, undoubtedly, mostly pilgrims - people regularly participating in worship services and observing posts. But if you want to learn as much as possible about Orthodoxy from the inside, to visit and experience the holy places - it is worth a try! Nobody will force you to participate in what you do not want. But there are certain requirements that must be observed:

• When entering the temple or on the territory of the monastery, men are obliged to remove the hat, and women wear a handkerchief.

• In a temple and a monastery a woman should be in a long skirt. In case you wear only trousers, then take a large handkerchief or cloth with you and wrap around the waist.

• The faith of other pilgrims should be treated with due respect, but no one forces you to pray.

This is the minimum requirements. Sometimes novice pilgrims are interested - is the priest's blessing necessary to participate in a trip to holy places. For those who are only interested in Orthodoxy, its history and wants to follow the path of self-knowledge, not necessarily.