Discover who YOU are
We are Augustinians.
We would like to walk with you the walk of life with all the challenges and questions it brings with it.
Learn more about us answer your restless calling today.
A lamp to your feet
To be saints…
To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) November 21, 2013
Do I have a vocation?
“God calls all the souls he has created to love him with their whole being, here and thereafter, which means that he calls all of them to holiness, to perfection, to a close following of him and obedience to his will. But he does not ask all souls to show their love by the same works, to climb to heaven by the same ladder, to achieve goodness in the same way. What sort
It is a journey that involves patience, honesty, perseverance…
The word ‘discernment’ is used to describe the whole process by which we listen to God and listen to our own hearts, gradually coming to know who God is calling us to be and where he is leading us. It is not something we just decide to do one afternoon, like baking a cake or watching a film. It is a journey that involves patience, honesty, perseverance, generosity, courage, and
Where am I going?
My Lord God, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following Your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please You does in fact please you. And I
għinni biex inxerred il-fwieħa tiegħek
Għażiż Ġesù, għinni biex inxerred il-fwieħa tiegħek kull fejn immur. Fawwar il-qalb tiegħi bl-Ispirtu u l-Ħajja tiegħek. Idħol ġewwa fija u ħu kontroll tiegħi nnifsi kollni kemm jien, b’mod li l-ħajja tiegħi tkun tirrifletti lilek biss. Iddi minn ġo fija, kun ġo fija b’mod li kull persuna li niġi f’kuntatt magħha tħoss fija l-preżenza tiegħek. Ħalli jħarsu u jaraw mhux aktar lili, imma lilek biss! Ibqa’ miegħi, ħalli nsir niddi
Educators
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Augustinians
Discover who WE are
We were founded as an Augustinian Order in 1244 when Pope Innocent IV gathered together various hermit communities in Italy and have been present in Malta since the 14th century.
We follow the footsteps of Christ and Saint Augustine.
We serve God and his people in diverse ministries as priests, educators and missionaries.
Our Stories
Augustinian Heart Blog
Għalfejn qiegħed ngħix?
Xi skop fiha l-ħajja? X’nixtieq fil-ħajja? F’hiex l-iktar li qiegħed inpoġġi l-impenn tiegħi? Dawn il-mistoqsijiet jisfidawna biex ninżlu iktar fil-fond tal-ħajja tagħna. Lkoll nafu li m’humiex mistoqsijiet faċli u jista’ jkun li nibżgħu naffrontawhom u nirrisponduhom, jista’ jkun ukoll li l-kultura tal-lum tħeġġiġna iktar għal ħajja iktar superfiċjali imma ħafna minna nirrealizzaw li qegħdin nitilfu ħafna mill-iskop tal-ħajja. X’inhu t-teżor tiegħek? X’sens fiha l-ħajja? X’jagħmel il-ħajja sabiħa? Ir-raġel tal-parabbola tal-lum
‘Irrid, kun imnaddaf!’
Fil-qari ta’ dan il-Ħadd, il-knisja tkompli tippreżentalna lil Ġesu’ li jfejjaq lil wieħed imġiddem, marda kiefra ħafna li barra tbatija fiżika, tikkawża ukoll esklużjoni mill-bqija tas-soċjeta’ fejn għall-Lhud kienet tfisser kastig minn Alla għal xi dnub gravi li tkun wettqet dik il-persuna. Jitolbu bil-ħerqa, inxteħet għarkupptejh quddiemu – Il-fatt li niżel għarkupptejh jurina li l-lebbruż qed iqis lil Ġesu’ bħala Alla għax il-liġi kienet tgħid li għandek tadura lil Alla
L-imħabba tal-Mulej tħawwad lil kulħadd
L-imħabba ta’ Kristu li toħroġ mid-definitions tagħna/mill-kaxxi tagħna – Kristu ma jitkellimx “għax hekk suppost, għax dejjem hekk sar, għax hekk hemm miktub…” il-Mulej ma jitkellimx mir-riġidità tal-liġi imma mil-liġi tal-imħabba. L-imħabba tal-Mulej tħawwad lil kulħadd – minflok keċċa lil midinba, laqagħha u aċċettaha flimkien mal-ġesti li bdiet tagħmel, ma bediex jiddubita minnha. Aħna fil-ħajja tagħna kif qegħdin nakkumpanjaw lil dawn il-persuni li forsi qegħdin fid-dnub? Qegħdin niġġuddikawhom, nitkażaw bihom
God ‘speaks’ to us in ordinary ways
Christians talk about how God ‘calls’ us to do something, and perhaps we think this means that one day we will literally hear a voice telling us what to do. Sometimes God does speak to us in clear and dramatic ways, but more often he ‘speaks’ to us in ordinary ways. He guides us through the deepest desires of our hearts (calling us ‘from within’) and the events and circumstances
It-Trinità
Il-festa tat-Trinitá qaddisa tistedinna biex l-affarijiet ta’ kuljum ikunu bħal ħmira ta’ komunjni, ta’ konsolazzjoni u ta’ ħniena. It-Trinità hija familja ta’ 3 persni – li qatt ma hija magħluqa fiha nfissha, imma hija miftuħa għall-oħrajn. Alla l-Missier li jikkrea/joħloq Alla l-Iben li jsavla Alla l-Ispirtu s-Santu li jigwidana għal sitwazzjonijiet ġodda fil-ħajja tagħna bl-għajnejn ta’ Ġesù, u fl-istess ħin miftuħa għal dawk li jkun qed jiġri u għall-futur. L-Ispirtu
Kattar fina l-Fidi…
Hija karba li llum għandha eku. Li nagħmlu mistosqijiet fuq il-fidi tagħna huwa eżerċizzju san. Il-fidi ma nistgħu npoġġuha fuq l-ixkaffa sakemm nużawha, għaliex imbagħad niskopru li saret dgħajfa u bla sens mill-użu tagħha u ma ssostniniex. U għalhekk il-virtu tal-integrita tinvolvi eżerċizzju importanti li tgħina wkoll fil-mumenti ta’ sfida. Li tkun bniedem bil-fidi huwa aktar itqal illum milli kien qatt qabel? Minn naħa l-waħda LE: l-ġenerazzjonijiet passati kellhom
Frequently Asked Questions
We were founded as an Augustinian Order in 1244 when Pope Innocent IV gathered together various hermit communities in Italy and have been present in Malta since the 14th century. We follow the footsteps of Christ and Saint Augustine and serve God and his people in diverse ministries as priests, educators and missionaries.
In Malta we are presenti in 6 communities: Valletta, Rabat, Tarxien, Pietà, Paceville and Victoria (Gozo).
Here are the three key differences between diocesan priests and religious priests:
1. Where they live.
Diocesan priests serve in the particular geographical region of a diocese or archdiocese. Usually, the bishop assigns them to a parish, where they live independently and interact with the parishioners and broader community. Diocesan priests sometimes live with other priests who serve at their parish, but each can own his own property.
Priests who are in a religious order are not assigned to a particular diocese. Instead, the superior of the order (the Prior Provincial) tells a religious priest where he will live to carry out his ministry. It could be in a different city, or even a different country. Religious priests live in community with one another. The religious priests in community own possessions communally.
2. What their mission is.
A diocesan priest is generally called to serve the needs of his parish. He celebrates Mass and administers sacraments to the parishioners, including Baptism and Reconciliation. At the same time, he runs the parish by making administrative and financial decisions. Additionally, a diocesan priest serves the particular pastoral needs of his parish, such as visiting the sick and spiritually accompanying parishioners.
In contrast, religious priests can work in a wide variety of ministries including a parish, though they also administer the sacraments and celebrate Mass. Their work depends on the charism of their religious order, which refers to the spirituality and particular focus for which the order was founded. Ministries can include teaching, working with the poor, assisting the elderly, leading a contemplative life of prayer, and much more.
3. The promises they make.
All priests make an important and unique commitment to the Church when they decide to enter seminary and when they are ordained. But there are some differences in the types of promises priests make, and when they make them. Diocesan priests make three promises to the bishop at their ordination:
- To recite daily the Liturgy of the Hours
- To obey the bishop
- To live a life of celibacy
Religious priests make temporary solemn vows before their ordination as part of their formation. After a certain number of years, depending on the order, they make final solemn vows. These vows, which are shared by religious brothers, sisters, and priests, are the three evangelical counsels:
- Poverty
- Chastity
- Obedience
Diocesan priests and religious priests are wonderful gifts that Christ has given us in his Church, and in their separate but complementary ways, they help the Church to flourish. We pray in a special way today for vocations to the diocesan and religious priesthood, and for all vocations to consecrated life.
Religious vows are sacred promises. They reflect a life orientation and profound loving commitment. After a period of formation members of religious communities, Sisters, Brothers and those becoming Religious Priests, publicly profess such vows of poverty, celibate chastity and obedience.
Religious vows joyfully free a person to live for God and through that first love to serve others with love and to witness to God’s faithfulness, compassion and care for all.
Poverty is the vow that call us to live simply. We depend on the generosity of our benefactors and commit to living in a community that provides for our material and financial support. The vow of poverty is an invitation to follow Jesus by renouncing earthly goods for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Chastity is a personal virtue – to love others appropriately as a single, celibate male. Chastity is an invitation to renounce marriage and sexual activity. It is also a deeply rewarding form of love. It’s not all sacrifice…. Augustinians share in the intimate and chaste love of family, friends, and those we serve in ministry.
Obedience is the vow to give respect and deference to our legitimate superiors. Our local superior is called a Prior, and he holds responsibility for the local community. Local communities are organized into Provinces, headed by a Provincial. The Provincial serves as the Ordinary, which means that the Provincial can assign where a friar lives and works.
The Rule of St. Augustine incorporates the basic principles of the Augustinian spirituality of religious community life. The Rule of St. Augustine was written around the year 400.
1) Discernment
3) Pre-Novitiate
4) Novitiate
5) Simple Vows
7) Solemn Vows
8) Ordination to the Diaconate
9) Ordination to the Priesthood
Ask by getting in contact with us on our contact page, or talk to a vocations director.
Discover who WE are and who YOU are
To young men we also offer the possibility of living in our community in Pietà for a few days where they can share our life built on the experience of the first Christian community.
Here they live the reality of our daily life by sharing our prayers, our community Eucharist, our food, our recreation and our work, particularly in the service of our brothers and the Church.
Above all we share together the beauty of each person’s story by celebrating the experiences and qualities of each one of us.
Let's Walk Together
We can’t wait to hear your story.
Allow us to accompany you as we embark on this journey of discovering the calling and the wonderful plan that God has for you.
Fill in the form below to start a conversation with our Augustinian Vocations Director.
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