Is Purgatory for Real?

For whatever reason, Protestants keep coming back to debate the doctrine of purgatory. This idea is unique to the Catholic Church. The Orthodox do not ascribe to it either. Ever since Martin Luther made this idea a topic of contention, we keep on accusing Catholics of abusing the concept of temporary punishment, purging, as preparation for entry to Heaven. 

The Catholics explain it as a necessary justice that purges us from the stains of venial sins which we have committed. But what kind of forgiveness is it that keeps a record of wrongs, while we are urged not to do the same against those who wrong us? Of course, we can earn indulgences to secure our early release, but that creates a whole new series of problems. Salvation is not supposed to be something that we earn. Why are we expected to earn our way out of an almost hellish place of punishment even after we have been granted salvation? Is Jesus' sacrifice not quite enough, or is his righteousness imputed to us not yet a suitable garment to gain us entry to the wedding feast? The very concepts of merit and stain are problematic. 

Therefore, I have developed a different idea, drawing from the Scriptures, that takes account of concerns about meeting the requirements for our places in Heaven. By contrast, this is not a place of punishment so much as it is a trial by fire of our humility, which reveals how well we have been listening to the Holy Spirit. Yes, it can be painful, and we are meant to be among the saved going to Heaven, but it doesn't have to be endured for longer than it takes for us to learn a proper attitude of appreciation for grace. Indeed, it seems that the Catholic teachings are more likely to prolong it than to decrease its duration. 

We are saved by grace because of our faith. Our works are no more than a response of loving obedience, and we have no claim to merit of any kind. Indeed, we are little more than worthless servants, for which of us can claim to have done all that our Lord may have asked of us? If we have somehow managed to achieve anything worthwhile, we should count ourselves as blessed.

In my view, purgatory happens when Christians who have been saved are judged for their works done on Earth. Jesus says that we will be rewarded according to our works, good or worthless. This judgment determines our place and role in Heaven. Our good works survive a test of flames, separating gold from dross to become our eternal treasure, but worthless works will all be consumed and lost, discarded as cinders or blown away as ashes. We must not hold on to those worthless deeds and resist correction, or we will remain in the flames until we release them. Just because we have done what the Church prescribed, doesn't mean the Lord asked it of us.

Therefore, let us practice humility here and now, holding on to nothing, but letting all of our deeds be an offering to God for his glory, not our own. Strive for the fruit of good character and obedient holiness with all humility. Spread the Gospel so as to save souls, and serve to build the Kingdom. Love one another as Jesus loved us. These will endure for your eternal reward. With only a minimum of these, performed because of our faith and desire to please God, we may be saved as if passing through a wall of flames to reach safety, but we will have only the shirts on our backs to cover us. Oh, of course, we can do more by following Jesus' example and listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit calling us to employ our talents. Those who do well will receive even more, while those who do little will get little. 

Purgatory is where we let go of the good works WE have done that God did not request from us, but it does not have to be endured for a long time unless we make it difficult. It is not the place where we are purged from our sins, unless you count as "sin" anything that failed to please the Lord. Jesus already died to wash away our evil deeds. They are forgiven. But clinging even to our good deeds with pride can be a severe hindrance, and may even bar our entrance to Heaven. 

There are certain things that we are all expected to do when the opportunity arises, and they are clearly outlined in Scripture. These include obedience to the Ten Commandments, performing the works of corporal mercy, and loving our enemies among others. We are also expected to try to pray without ceasing, and to seek ways to apply our talents toward building the Lord's Kingdom. And, we are given certain gifts for the tasks we are assigned. Those are the things we are expected to accomplish. 

What we are not asked to do are those things which we reach for out of our own ambition. We are not all meant to be great evangelists, like Billy Graham. Nor must we all plant new churches in foreign lands unreached by the Gospel. Not even is every Christian meant to be a pastor or teacher. Few of us have the special gifts needed to succeed in those tasks. We might even achieve some small successes if we try, but God had an even better idea of what we could do for Him if we had only listened. Perhaps we were taking someone else's place, who could not do what we were called to do, and leaving him without a blessed task. We should not always aspire to do great things, but allow ourselves to invest our hearts in the fields where we are planted. If we are to be called out, God will find ways to let us know what He wants. 

By contrast, if we rather to pursue our own goals, however glorious, without seeking his advice for our vocation, whatever we may accomplish will in the end become cinders and ashes. If we come before the Throne and offer Him our good works, we had better hope that we have done at least something that He asked of us. We certainly don't want to hear Him say that He never knew us, and never heard us asking what He wanted us to do to serve the Kingdom.

P.S., This is NOT what the Catholic Church teaches. It mostly comes from Scripture, and then from listening to the Holy Spirit. I do not claim it to be infallible, but merely logical and likely correct. I do not view this as an essential doctrine necessary for our salvation. Let's not argue about it nor condemn Catholics for their own ideas.

The Wildflower Rosary for Protestant Disciples

This Wildflower Rosary is designed for Protestant disciples, with an extended series of mysteries for meditating on the whole mission of Jesus Christ, plus a few of his parables. It is formulated for evangelism and teaching about the life of Jesus to those new to the Gospels. Yet, it is also offered as a engaging way for all devout followers of Jesus to pray without ceasing, or to follow St. Benedict's hours of prayer in a more simple, memorable format. We can meditate on important episodes in our Lord's life and teachings, and reflect on how He has impacted our lives at each step along his courageous journey. Perhaps, it may help the rest of us to become more contemplative, to seek a daily quiet time, and to consciously walk with our best Friend through this world of distractions and challenges. 

It is my secondary hope that this Wildflower Rosary might serve to knit back together the disparate members of the Body of Christ. As Protestants, we tend to think of the Rosary as just for Catholics, full of empty repetitive prayers to Mary. But that is just a dismissive stereotype. The mysteries fill the Rosary with opportunities to connect with Jesus. While it is true that most of the prayers were offered to Mary, that is because the Rosary as we know it originated in the visions of St. Dominic, who was a devotee of Mary. Long before that, Christians had been praying simple prayers on a knotted rope with the intent to pray without ceasing. 

Many Orthodox Christians, today, still continue that tradition, often with prayers quite similar to the Rosary. Using a specially knotted rope, they have an even simpler prayer than the Hail Mary, the Sinner's prayer, which they repeat over and over, endlessly,  throughout the day. As you might imagine, that could become an empty habit, too. We don't want to become too familiar with the prayers, letting them run on too long without having to think about what they mean. As a result, most Protestant sects have given up and ignored our mandate to pray without ceasing, and this has allowed us to drift away from the traditions of the older Church. 

That leaves us with only two options, if we want to follow the example of the early Church and try to pray without ceasing. We can try to memorize the entire Book of Psalms, and then say them all every day, as the desert monks did in the 4th and 5th centuries. Or, we can relearn the Rosary in a slightly more challenging form, and direct our prayers to our Lord Jesus, instead of Mary. Jesus asked us to pray always, persistently, for our friends and our own needs, for the conversion of sinners, then for the peace of Jerusalem, and the coming of the Kingdom of God, according to the Father's will. We can dedicate each day's Rosary for any of those concerns. 

We don't want to completely forget Mother Mary, however, because of her indispensable contribution to the formation of the Rosary. Plus, as Mother of our Lord and the Queen of Heaven, she deserves at least a few of our prayers. Our primary focus must always be on Jesus, even so, while we nod reverently to our Queen, because He is the only source of our salvation. Let Her recommend us as She will, He is our mediator before the Father, and only his acknowledgement of our faith will open the doors of Heaven. 

That is why we need to pray the Rosary, and why I have written out this Wildflower Rosary for our use. As you shall soon see, there has been a little reorganization. I moved some days around and added whole new sets of mysteries, so that the teaching would be more systematic, but I have tried to remain faithful to the intent of the original. Hopefully, the innovations won't be too much of an impediment for those already familiar with the Rosary. I did intend for there to be a degree of flexibility in the choice of prayers, so that any Catholics who want adopt this can continue to say the prayers they prefer. 

Some, who already have the habit of saying the whole Rosary every day, might complain that the extension of three more days, with new sets of mysteries to memorize, adds too much burden for us to keep up with in our busy lives. That was also my concern, so I made it easier and quicker to do each decade by suggesting the Sinner's Prayer instead of the Hail Mary. Doing one day's mysteries should be a little quicker now than it was before. And we can still say the whole series simply by breaking up our schedule to match St. Benedict's canonical hours, but without waking in the middle of the night. However, if you do wake up at 3am, you could say Sister Faustina's chaplet of the Divine Mercy. 

....

So, as we begin, let us carefully examine our conscience, and consider how much we have to repent for. How abundant God's grace is to forgive us and offer us his salvation and eternal life! Then, let us humbly address our devotions to our Lord. We should meditate a few lingering moments on each mystery before concluding with the decade of short prayers. It can be our choice either to read the short Scripture passage corresponding to the mystery, or to visualize the story in a devotional way, imagining how we might feel as a witness. This meditation is what makes the Rosary more than merely repetitive rote prayers. 

Monday: The Joyful Mysteries 

1. Annunciation of Fulfillment 

    Luke 1:26-38 

2. Visitation of Elisabeth 

    Luke 1:41-45

3. Nativity of Jesus 

    Luke 2:4-7 

4. Presentation of the Baby 

    Luke 2:22-35 

5. Adoration by the Magi 

    Matthew 2:1-12 

6. Discovery in the Temple 

    Luke 2:45-49 

Parable: The Importuning Friend at Night 

    Luke 11:5-13 

Tuesday: The Luminous Mysteries 

1. Baptism of Jesus 

    Matthew 3:16-17 

2. Wedding at Cana 

    John 2:5-7 

3. Proclaiming the Kingdom 

    Mark 1:14-15 

4. Casting out Demons 

    Mark 9:17-29, Luke 11:14-23 

5. Transfiguration of his Appearance 

    Matthew 17:1-8 

6. Feeding the Multitudes 

    Luke 9:11-17 

Parable: Finding Great Treasure 

    Matthew 13:44-45

Wednesday: The Believing Mysteries 

1. Healing the Sick 

    Mark 5:21-43, Luke 7:1-10, Matthew 8:1-4 

2. Including the Despised 

    John 4:4-26 

3. Forgiving the Broken 

    Matthew 9:2-8 

4. Relieving our Blindness 

    Mark 10:46-52 

5. Power over Nature 

    Matthew 14:22-34 

6. Promising Resurrection 

    John 11:1-44 

Parable: The Wheat and the Tares 

    Matthew 13:24-40 

Thursday: The Theological Mysteries 

1. Rebirth into the Kingdom 

    John 3:3-8 

2. Foundation of the Church 

    Matthew 16:13-17 

3. Words of Eternal Life 

    John 6:63-69 

4. Revealing his Identity 

    John 10:22-42 

5. Establishing the Eucharist 

    Luke 22:14-20 

6. Abiding with Jesus 

    John 15:1-10 

Parable: The Good Shepherd 

    John 10:1-18 

Friday: The Sorrowful Mysteries 

1. Agony in the Garden 

    Matthew 26:36-45 

2. Scourging at the Pillar 

    Mark 15:15 

3. Crowned with Thorns 

    John 19:2-3 

4. Carrying the Cross 

    John 19:17 

5. Mary is our Mother 

    John 19:25-27 

6. Death by Crucifixion 

    Luke 23:32-34 

Parable: The Vinyard Owner 

    Matthew 21:33-44 

Saturday: The Holiness Mysteries 

1. Greatest Commandments 

    Matthew 22:36-40 

2. Kosher Speech 

    Matthew 15:11,15-20 

3. Corporal Works of Mercy 

    Matthew 25:34-40 

4. Love Your Enemies 

    Matthew 5:43-48 

5. Seek First the Kingdom 

    Matthew 6:19-34 

6. Keep my Commandments 

    John 15:9-17 

Parables: The Good Neighbor 

    Luke 10:25-37 

Sunday: The Glorious Mysteries 

1. Resurrection of Jesus 

    Mark 16:5-7 

2. The Great Commission 

    Matthew 28:16-20 

3. Ascension into Heaven 

    Acts 1:9-11 

4. Descent of the Holy Spirit 

    Acts 2:1-4 

5. Coronation of the Queen 

    Revelations 12:1 

6. The Return of the King 

    Matthew 24:30, Revelations 1:7 

Parable: Light of the World 

    Matthew 5:14-16 

....

These are the prayers I use for saying the Wildflower Rosary: 

Apostle's Creed
Our Father
Hail Mary (3x)
Glory Be

I have included the prayer added by St. Faustina, as it addresses Our Lord directly, and it was given in a vision of Our Lady at Fatima in Portugal in 1917.

"O my Jesus, forgive us our sins! Save us from the fires of Hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those who most need thy mercy." 

Beloved Face of Jesus (on the center medal)
"O Holy Lord, my sweet Jesus, living and eternal expression of Divine Love and Compassion, I weep for the terrible painful martyrdom you suffered for the redemption of mankind. I adore Thee and love Thee, my precious Friend. Today and always, I consecrate to Thee my heart and my whole being, offering Thee my prayers and actions, joys and sufferings of the day, and asking only for thy companionship and the promise of thy mercy. If Thou dost will, make of me a fruitful servant, that I may help others to recognize thy Presence in the world. Grant me the humility to accept simplicity and the clarity to express your love to those you lead across my path. Impress your Beloved Face on my heart, Lord, so that I may see Thee more clearly, love Thee more dearly, and follow Thee more nearly with each passing day. Amen. 

As you begin the cycle of today's mysteries, name each mystery and say the Our Father, followed by the Disciple's Prayer, which I wrote as a counterpoint for the Hail Mary, as follows:

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, my wise and wonderful Shepherd, help me to observe thy ways, and lead me to follow thy path. Lord, teach me thy Way of Truth, and let me share thy Life, now and forever. Amen." 

Then, read the relevant Scripture and/or meditate on the scene described there. After that, on each of the 10 beads, say the Sinner's Prayer.

"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Amen." 

At the end of each decade, we say the Glory Be, and Fatima prayers, and after the last mystery, we return to the central medal and end the Wildflower Rosary with one or more prayers to Mary, as follows, and then the Deo Gratia. 

For Transforming Grace (optional)
"O Sweet Mary,
most holy Mother of God,
we seek thy favor.
Pray for us always,
that by the grace of the holy Name,
of your Son, Jesus Christ,
we may find the strength of will,
to follow Him and imitate his example.
Ask that we may be transformed by his life,
saved by his redeeming death,
and raised by the greatest Love
of his infinite Mercy.
Amen." 

Hail, Holy Queen (optional)
"Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy,
our life, our sweetness, and our hope,
to thee do we cry,
poor banished children of Eve.
To thee do we send up our sighs,
mourning and weeping in this vale of tears.
Turn then, most gracious Advocate,
thine eyes of mercy towards us,
and after this, our exile, show unto us
the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
O clement! O loving! O sweet virgin, Mary!
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God,
that we may be made worthy
of the promises of Christ.
Amen." 

Sub Tuum Praesidium (optional)        

"Beneath thy merciful compassion we fly for refuge, O Holy Mother of God. Do not despise our petitions in our times of great need, but deliver us always from all dangers. O pure, O glorious, O Blessed Virgin Mary, recommend us to your Son as we are in distress. Amen."  

Deo Gratia
"O Holy, Compassionate, Merciful God,
It was by the resurrection of thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, that Thou brought joy to the world, and we are forever grateful. Grant now, we beseech Thee as we meditate upon these mysteries of his courageous mission through this most holy Rosary, that we may imitate his Life, and be transformed by his Love. Allow, Lord, that we may be saved from sin by his redeeming death, and reprieved from judgment by his Infinite Mercy. We adore thy perfect holiness, and love thy grace and compassion. With great longing, we wish to receive what thy Son has promised. Give ear, Merciful Father, to the intercessions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and pour out thy grace upon us, that we might be granted eternal life and come joyfully into thy presence.
Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." 

Lastly, if you would be entirely consistent, you can say the Disciple's Prayer after every Our Father, including the very first one. That makes for seven times in each day's cycle. Just don't leave out the Hail Marys at the beginning, and be sure to say at least one Marian prayer at the end, to remember her part in the Father's plan of salvation. 

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