OUR IGNATIAN RETREAT PART 6

About once every two months, Father Beaudois visits our parish to say Mass. His homily, which immediately preceded our February 2012 meeting, confounded me and made me question whether it was a good idea to embark on a retreat with a renegade priest.

Here’s the story he told as part of his sermon that temporarily called his credibility into question for me.

At the end of times, there is a great party in heaven to celebrate the glory of God. St Peter is there making sure everyone is having a good time. However, after a while, he realizes someone is missing.

Where is Jesus?

He searches everywhere and still can’t find Him until he retraces his steps to his own special outpost, the pearly gates.

There he spots Jesus looking sad and dejected.

“What’s the matter?” asks Peter. “Why aren’t you at the party?”

“I’m here waiting for one more person to arrive. I’m waiting for Judas.”


What a concept! Does Father Don really think everyone makes it? Does he not believe in hell? And what about the Last Judgment?

I had to get some clarification before putting my trust in my new old teacher.

“Mike, that’s right,” Father said in answer to my questions. “We all make it.”

“No way,” I thought to myself.

I could hear one of my aging mom’s favourite lines playing in my head, “Maybe he’s losing his marbles.”

“Let’s not get into a discussion of heaven and hell today,” Father continued. “But know that by the end of our Ignatian study, you’ll be seeing life a lot differently than you do today. Trust me.”

I don’t like people who say ‘trust me.’ Reminds me of a used car salesman.

And I couldn’t let it go.

“But Father, does that mean you don’t believe in hell?”

“Quite the contrary, Mike. I do believe in hell, it’s just that there’s no one in it.”

Wow! Father Don never ceases to amaze me.

With that, he closed the book on the subject and turned his attention to the next topic at hand, prayer. I was still confused and more than a little annoyed at Father’s cavalier way of ending our hellish discussion.

Stubbornly, I resolved that I’d never become a disciple of his radical view of the life hereafter. I mean really, why would each competitor get a gold medal at the end of his game? In fact, why have a game at all if every one is a winner?

As we began our discussion on prayer, I felt a disconnect with my teacher. Later, Terry would say that I was just being stubborn. In hindsight, I know she was right.

But believing we all make it to heaven, that’s a paradigm shifter for me. What about you? Would you live your life any differently if the threat of hell was removed?

The gates at Manresa are ominous and tall

yet slide gently open when visitors call.

Perhaps this welcome has conditioned my mentor

into believing heaven’s a come one, come all Centre.