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
You already have a vocation
You already have a vocation – This vocation to holiness is already a part of your life, given to you at your baptism, and it is so important to remember that. Whatever situation you are in now, however unsatisfactory it seems, you already have a vocation. You might be working, studying, travelling, unemployed, or caring for someone at home; you might be very content, or utterly miserable; full of hope,
Each vocation is a call to follow Christ
Each vocation is a call to follow Christ – The lifestyle and demands of each particular vocation are very different, but there are some common threads. Each vocation is a commitment to love in a certain way and to draw closer to others – whether that closeness is through marriage or service or prayer. Each vocation challenges us to live our faith more deeply and to follow Christ more closely.
hiding yourself…
5 common pitfalls in which your choices can be hijacked by fear, illusion, or anxiety: By hiding yourself in a dream in order to avoid making a choice. By hiding yourself in the busyness of short-term goals in order to avoid the deeper decisions By hiding yourself in a failure in order to avoid the battle By hiding yourself behind God in order to avoid taking responsibility By hiding behind
1. Desire and attraction
You don’t need to over-analyse your life, looking for conclusive signs in every mood or event. This can become an obsession, and even a superstition, like reading the tea leaves or the horoscopes. When you stand back and take a look at the big picture, perhaps a pattern emerges, and you sense that you are being drawn in a particular direction. Usually, you don’t really need more signs, you just
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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
You already have a vocation
You already have a vocation – This vocation to holiness is already a part of your life, given to you at your baptism, and it is so important to remember that. Whatever situation you are in now, however unsatisfactory it seems, you already have a vocation. You might be working, studying, travelling, unemployed, or caring for someone at home; you might be very content, or utterly miserable; full of hope,
Itlobni x’nagħtik
Hekk qallu Alla lil Salamun, li kien Re żgħażugħ. “Itlob x’nagħtik”. Hija mistoqsija li Ġesù wkoll jistaqsi xi drabi fl-Evanġelji. Hija mistoqsija li jistaqsi lili llum. Kif ser nirrispondi? X’irrid li jkolli jew li nkun bħalissa? Nistgħu nobsru b’mod tajjeb ħafna minn nies, inklużi aħna, x’nixtiequ nitolbu. Għal ħafna hija xi ħaġa marbuta mal-flus jew ma’ xi sigurtà materjali. Għalkemm uħud ukoll quddiem mistoqsi bħal din jitħawdu u ma jkunux
Min tgħidu li jien?
Ġesù wkoll jagħmel survey żgħir …jistaqsi lil ta’ madwaru x’jaħsbu n-nies fuqu…u d-dixxipli jsibuha faċli u jgħidulu. Imma Ġesù jdawwar d-domanda għal fuqhom personali. “Intom min tgħidu li jien? Mhux x’nagħmel, imma min jien għalikom?..Hija domanda għalihom, għalik u għalija.. Domanda diretta. Min hu Ġesù għalija konkretament f’ħajti? Mistoqsija qawwija – li ġieli nsaqsu f’relazzjonijiet – għaliex tħobbni lili? X’infisser għalik? X’inhu l-iskop vera ta’ ħajti? Għalfejn għażilt din it-tip
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
Dik il-maxtura! Dak tal-lukanda.
Maxtura Jista’ jkun li mhux veru twieled f’maxtura Ġesù – hija simbolu..it-twelid ta’ Ġesù sar fi stalla biex jistedinna naħsbu li Ġesù żgur ma twelidx f’xi katidral (m’hemmx paragun)…ma kellux inċens ifuħ, anzi riħa ta’ annimali. Dan kollu jurina s-sempliċità/radikalità ta’ din il-festa. Imma l-maxtura hija ukoll dik li minna jieklu l-annimali…kellha funzjoni oħra – kienet tagħti l-ħajja lil dawk li kienu jieklu minna. U Ġesù f’diversi okkażjonijiet iqabbel lilu
Ġesù jsejħilna biex nitolbu “bla ma naqtgħu”
Għandna parabbola li turina kif għandna nitolbu dejjem u bla ma naqgħtu qalbna. Nitolbu ta’ kuljum u mhux meta jkollna bżonn xi ħaġa. Ġesù jsejħilna biex nitolbu “bla ma naqtgħu”. Kollha ngħaddu minn mumenti ta’ għejja u ta’ qtigħ il-qalb, fuq kollox meta t-talba tagħna donnha m’hix tħalli frott. Imma Ġesù jiżgurana: b’differenza mill-imħallef diżonest, Alla malajr jisma’ lil uliedu, anki jekk dan ma jfissirx li jagħmlu skond iż-żminijiet u
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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