Earth is a huge and beautiful planet boasting rolling hills, lush valleys, and pristine water formations. The discovery and further use of these unique destinations are what makes travel one of the largest industries in the world today. Instead of traveling for pure comfort and earthly desire, Christians too can travel to expand their spiritual understanding and their view of a truly eternal God. Travel has the potential of exposing a person to something new and it can, therefore, expand the mind and lift the spirit. Here are twenty places every able Christian should aim to visit.
Church of the Nativity
Jesus' birthday is celebrated on December 25 th in most countries, but another very important fact of His birth is the location of the manger which can be found still in Bethlehem.
Church of the Holy Sepulcher
Otherwise known as the site of Christ's burial, the Holy Sepulcher is one of the holiest sites for Christian pilgrimage. It has finally been reopened to the public after a brief renovation project.
Notre-Dame de Paris
Within the walls of this cathedral are some great Christian art pieces and other treasures such as wood from the True Cross, the Crown of Thorns and one of the Holy Nails.
Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes
Famous for being a site for healing, the Sanctuary boasts waters which have been known to heal sick pilgrims and their helpers.
Shrine of the Three Kings
Going back to the birth of Christ, the Shrine located in Germany holds the bones of the Biblical Magi. The Biblical Magi are also popularly called the Three Kings or the Three Wise Men who came to see Christ after His birth.
Saint Catherine's Monastery
Located in Egypt, this monastery is the oldest working Christian monastery in the world. Originally built in 565 AD, the monastery was the location of 4 th -century manuscripts which were thought to have predated the current bible.
San Silvestro in Capite
While this church has been designated as the national church of Great Britain, this Rome- based church is famous for a totally different reason. It is the reported to be the site which hosts the head of John the Baptist.
Pilgrimage Sites throughout the World
Though many sacrifices, Christianity has managed to touch almost every country in the world. Kicking off a world wind tour, below we will look at some of the popular religious sites by continents:
Europe:
St Peters Basilica
Cathedral of St Mary of the See located in Spain
South America:
Basilica of Aparecida
Africa:
Church Of St Mary of Zion
The Middle East:
The Traditional Site of the Baptism of Jesus
Sowers Cove of the Sea of Galilee
The Church Of Heptapegon
The First Tomb of Lazarus
The Second Tomb of Lazarus
The Rock of the Ascension
Site of Imprisonment of Paul and Silas
North America:
Shrine of the True Cross
The Creation Museum
Asia:
Twenty-Six Martyrs Museum and Monument, Japan
National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. The Philippines
Author bio: Rana Tarakji is an entrepreneur and a contributing writer at Stylerail, a lifestyle blog and Sataco, an electro-mechanical company in Lebanon.
