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
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
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
Each vocation in the Church…
Each vocation in the Church has its origin in the compassionate gaze of Jesus, who forgives us and calls us to follow Him. — Pope Francis (@Pontifex) April 17, 2016
Santu Wistin jiktbilna…
Għażiż/a Jisimni Wistin. Għalkemm għext żmien ilu, għadni ħaj illum permezz tal-ħafna kitbiet li ħallejt warajha. Nixtieq li permezz ta’ din l-ittra ċkejkna nagħmlu bħal encounter bejnietna ta’ dak li għext, esperjenzajt, ġarrabt, irriflettejt, u ta’ kemm Alla tas-sorpriżi kien preżenti kontinwament minkejja d-diversi dubji u diffikultajiet li ltqajt magħhom fiż-żgħożija tiegħi. Għaliex, jiena bniedem u ngħix qalb il-bnedmin u “x’inhi qalbi jekk mhux qalb umana?”. Għalhekk ħabib, dawn huma
Vocation as a call to a concrete ‘state of life’
Vocation as a call to a concrete ‘state of life’ – Christ has always called some people to follow him in concrete ways, by giving them a more specific vocation. In previous generations, the word ‘vocation’ would only have been used to describe the lives of priests and religious – because these people had in some sense been called ‘away’ from an ordinary life to a life of celibacy and
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
ħabbara fid-dinja tal-lum?
l-missjoni li Ġesù ta lit-72 hija l-istess missjoni li rċieva Ġesù innifsu. U x’inhi din il-missjoni? Din hija li tħabbar li s-saltna t’Alla hija fil-qrib u li tfejjaq il-morda. x’passi nistgħu nieħdu bħala evanġelizaturi? Ngħarfu l-ġuħ u l-għatx tal-qlub tal-bnedmin, dak li jirrikonoxxu u wkoll dawk moħbija (eżempju s-sens tal-ħajja, għaliex qegħdin hawn, jien min jien fil-verità?, x’jżommni ħaj? x’inhi l-imħabba vera? id-direzzjoni tal-ħajja, l-ispiritwalità, t-tfixxija għal Alla l-ħaj, t-tfixxija
Il-kompassjoni fil-ħajja tiegħek…
Il-Mulej juri kompassjoni mal-għarmla. Kompassjoni vera tista’ tibdel sitwazzjoni – iwa il-kompassjoni tiegħek għal persuna oħra tista’ tfejjaq u tgħajjex persuna oħra. Meta kienu dawk il-mumenti li fihom persuna oħra uriet kompassjoni veru miegħek? Kif ħassejtek? Meta int urejt kompassjoni ma’ persuna oħra u mxejt magħha?
Trinità Qaddisa
Alla l-Missier li jagħder u jħenn Fl-ewwel qari l-awtur tal-ktieb tal-Eżodu (minkejja li dak iż-żmien ma kienux jafu bil-kunċett tat-Trinita’) jagħtina ħjiel tal-ewwel persuna tat-Trinita’ – Alla l-Missier li jagħder u jħenn. Diversi frażijiet li jsemmilna li għandhom x’jaqsmu mal-viċinanza t’Alla: il-Mulej niżel fi sħaba u waqaf hemm… Alla li jinżel ħdejja u ħdejk, Alla li jkun qrib tagħna. Alla li jieqaf ħdejk, jieqaf iħares lejk b’ħarsa ta’ imħabba, Alla
Il-ħajja tiegħek qiegħdha f’idejn Alla, u xejn ma għandu jinkwetana
Huwa qari li jista’ jħawwadna…għax jissemmew ħafna affarijiet li ukoll jimlewna b’ċerta biża. Imma hemm diversi punti ta’ riflessjoni li jgħinuna f’dan kollu. Luqa jippreżentalna lil Ġesù bħala l-profeta, li kapaċi jaqra s-sinjali taż-żminijiet. Li joffrilna pariri mimlijin għerf u b’ħafna insight kif għandna naġixxu fiż-żmien diffiċli. Fil-fatt jekk naqraw b’attenzjoni l-Evanġelju, Ġesù qiegħed jiskoraġġixi lil dawk li qegħdin jipprovaw jikkalkulaw t-tmiem fuq il-bażi ta’ fenomini viżibli. Huwa ma hux
veduti ġodda
Ritratt James Pizzuto Il-mixja li għamlu t-tlett dixxipli għal fuq il-muntanja kienet fiha nfisha diġa esperjenza kbira. Imbagħad kellhom esperjenza aktar qawwija fejn raw lil Ġesù fil-glorja tiegħu. Hemmhekk saru jaru l-identità vera ta’ Ġesù. Aħna nitilgħu l-muntanja u naraw veduti ġodda. Naraw l-ibliet minn punt differenti. Naraw is-sbuħija kif ma rajniex qabel. Aħna neħtieġu mumenti fejn nitilgħu l-muntanji ‘l hemm mill-ordinarju. Anke permezz tat-talb. Bħal Ġesù għandna bżonn postijiet
Water Is Thicker Than Blood, an Augustinian Theology of Marriage and Singleness
Water Is Thicker Than Blood, an Augustinian Theology of Marriage and Singleness, ktieb ta’ Jana Marguerite Bennett, ippublikat mill-Oxford University Press fl-2008. Mit-titlu wieħed igħid – imma b’mod xjentifiku d-demm huma aktar oħxon mill-ilma, u allura għaliex dan it-titlu? Dan il-ktieb jikkunsidra kif id-djar, l-familji u l-ħajja domestika huma relatati mal-Knisja. F’teoloġiji bikrija kienet iktar iglorifikata l-ħajja monastika bħala triq aktar diretta għall-ġid sopranaturali, filwaqt li ħassieba kontemporanji jaraw li
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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