Bishop Claude Rault, Bishop Emeritus of the Sahara, shared this prayer by an early Muslim mystic, Rabi’a al Adawiyya, (717-801). It is a prayer that anyone could make their own. Bishop Claude has devoted his life to being present in dialogue and neighbourliness with the Muslims of Algeria, and to the study of Islam.
Oh my God, if it is through fear of hell fire that I adore You, then burn me in hell fire. And if it is through hope of Paradise that I adore You, then chase me out of Paradise. But if I adore You simply for Yourself, Do not deprive me of Your eternal beauty. Oh my God, all my desire in this world is to remember You and all my desire for the world to come is to encounter You. That is how it is for me but You: do whatever You will.
+ Claude Rault, Jesus, l’Homme de la Rencontre, Marseille, Publications Chemins de Dialogue, 2020, p31.
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