Purgatory

Purgatory: Always looks nicer in black and white!

There once was a man who had a friend who was very sceptical about prayer. The man would say to his friend, "Well, you know, dear friend, I always pray for you."
The friend would answer, "Yes, but what difference does it make?"
The man would always say, "One day, you'll know what difference it makes."

When he would leave the acquaintence of his dear friend the man would say, "I am a sinful soul, but pray for me and maybe one day I will be a Saint!" The friend didn't usually pray or understand what he meant fully but because he was dear to him, would say a prayer for him every night he told him to.

The years passed and their friendship grew and grew until one day the man grew gravely ill. Surrounded by his friend and his Priest, his whispered last words to his dear friend astonishingly remained the same, "I am a sinful soul, but pray for me and maybe one day I will be a Saint!" Having said this, the man died peacefully.

The Priest asked the friend, "What did he say?"
The friend replied, "I am a sinful soul, but pray for me, and maybe one day I will be a Saint."
The Priest replied to him, "Then that is what you must do for your dear friend, also I shall offer Mass for him at your request, whenever you ask."

The days, months and not a couple of years passed when the dear friend would pray for the man and occasionally he would go to the Priest and ask him to offer Mass for him. Whenever he forgot to say a prayer for his deceased friend, his dying words would come to him in a dream, "I am a sinful soul, but pray for me and maybe one day I will be a Saint!" When he remembered this in the morning he would say a prayer for him.

Then, one night, after the friend had said a prayer for the man, he had a dream. The man walked towards him, clothed in garments of glory, shining brilliantly and smiling benevolently at his friend, and beside him other men and other women, clothed in garments of glory, shining brilliantly and smiling kindly upon his friend and the man said to his dear friend...

"Told you! Now, if there is anything I can do for you, anything at all, all you have to do is ask!"
The dear friend replied, "Friend, there is only one thing I ask of you."
The man said, "Dear friend, and what is that?"
The dear friend replied, "I am a sinful soul, but pray for me, and maybe one day I will be a Saint."
The man replied, "Well, I suppose I could. I mean, why break the habit of a lifetime?"