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
Vocation as a call to be the unique person you are made to be
Vocation as a call to be the unique person you are made to be – There is yet another level to ‘vocation’. Each saint is unique, and you are called to be holy not just in a general way, but in the particular way that God has made you to be. God created you as a unique individual, and calls you by a name that no-one else has been given.
Created to share God’s love
The fundamental vocation of every human being is to love. This is not obvious to everyone today. Many people believe that human life is just an accident, a chance product of evolution, a meaningless event in a vast mechanical universe. It is certainly true that our lives have been shaped by many different forces, but there is a much deeper truth that we can discover through faith: Every single human
Agħti l-pass!
Għandek paċenzja? Lesti tħalli l-qamħ u s-sikrana jitilgħu flimkien bħal bidwi fil-parabbola? Paċenzja Xi drabi bħal donnu naraw biss in-negattiv fina tant li ma jħallinix naraw it-tajjeb u l-pożittiv li hemm fina…naqtgħu qalbna. Jista’ jkun ukoll li nkunu rridu lil kulħadd perfett kif jaqbel lili u min mhux skont il-kriterji tiegħi nwarrbu, nneħħiħ minn ħajti. Għalfejn jiġrilna hekk? Għax ma naċċettawx li aħna lkoll dgħajfin, imma mhux biex naqtgħu qalbna
Vocation as a call to holiness
One way of expressing this is to say that the fundamental human vocation is the call to holiness, the call to be a saint. The saints are not just heroic people who live in history books; they are ordinary Christians who have tried to live their faith without holding anything back – to love God with their whole hearts, to love those around them without counting the cost, to work
How do I know my vocation?
How do I know my vocation? Monk, religious priest, nun, marriage, single life? Many voices are speaking both within me and around me. Here are 3 essential criteria upon which you can rely: Listen to the deepest desire of your heart Test the “endurance” of this deepest desire The “Reality Principle” revisited: it is the Church who calls Discerning Your Vocation – a catholic guide for young adults – Community
Educators
Priests
Missionaries
Religious
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
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
Sar il-ħin. Alla ġej id-dar għalina.
Sar il-ħin. Alla ġej id-dar għalina. Il-Mulej jidħol fl-istorja tal-ħajja tagħna. Niftħulu l-bieb u nħalluh jidħol. Inkomplu f’din il-mixja tagħna f’dawn il-Ħdud tal-Avvent…f’dan iż-żmien ta’ preparazzjoni…mhux preprazzjoni biss għax-xiri tar-rigali, tiżjin, u elf ħaġa oħra, imma wkoll għal ftuħ ta’ qlubna biex bil-liberta sħiħa inħallu lil Alla jkompli jippreparana… Matul dawn l-4 Ħdud tal-Avvent, permezz tal-liturġija, konna qegħdin fi tfitxxija għall-passi u s-sinjali tal-presenza ta’ Alla fil-ħajja tagħna. Fil-fatt fl-ewwel
Augustine Deformed
“Augustine Deformed: Love, Sin and Freedom in the Western Moral Tradition” huwa ktieb tal-professur John M. Rist, ippublikat fis-sena 2014 mill-Cambridge University Press. Kif nafu, Wistin stabbilixxa qafas morali li ddominat l-kultura tal-Punent għal aktar minn elf sena. Fil-preżentazzjoni tiegħu, xi drabi parzjali, ta’ xi wħud mill-kunċetti ewlenin tal-morali (l-imħabba, ir-rieda u l-libertà), madankollu, xi ħassieba sussegwenti f’tentattivi biex issir tiswija ta’ dan il-qafas, u fl-isforzi tagħhom, ta’ spiss aggrava
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
Inti mistieden. X’ser tagħmel?
L-istedina għas-salvazzjoni hija miftuħa għal kulħadd, u dan kemm-il darba aħna tassew naċċettawha. Bir-rifjut ta’ dawk li kienu oriġinalment mistiedna, is-Sultan jerġa’ jirrepeti li t-tieġ huwa LEST. Hemm din l-urġenza biex wieħed jirrispondi għal din is-sejħa. Il-qaddejja ma jintbgħatux fid-djar tas-sinjuri, imma f’salib it-toroq. Hemmhekk jiltaqgħu dawk li huma mwarba mis-soċjetà, dawk li jiġbru t-taxxi, n-nisa tat-triq etc. U huwa dawn li jkunu mistiedna sakemm is-sala tat-tieġ tkun mimlija. Aħna
imbeżżgħin u magħluqin…
F’dan il-Ħadd tal-Ħniena Divina l-Evanġelju jippreżentalna tnejn mid-deheriet li Ġesu’ għamel lil diversi persuni wara l-qawmien tiegħu mill-imwiet. ‘imbeżżgħa mil-Lhud, bil-bibien magħluqa’ –Dak kollu li d-dixxipli kienu ittamaw fih u ghexu meta Ġesu’ kienu għadu magħhom issa bħal donnu kien spiċċa fix-xejn. Il-Vanġelu jibda billi jgħidilna li kienu imbeżżgħin u li kienu magħluqin. Dan huwa fil-fatt fejn twassalna l-biża fil-ħajja tagħna jekk inħalluha taħkimna. Hija tagħlaqna u tipparalizzana!!! Ma nibqgħux
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.
"*" indicates required fields