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
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
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
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
2. Admiration
Admiration – Which people do you admire the most? Is it because of who they are or what they stand for or what they do? What is it about them or their vocation that you have been attracted to? What does it stir up in your own heart? Which person, alive now, would you most like to be? Which saints, from the past, inspire you most? Why? How to Discover
Holding the hand of the Lord…
“How wonderful to walk along in life holding the hand of the Lord” (Saint Edith Stein). The most beautiful thing in this world is to be led by the hand of God. Not going at it alone when we pursue our interests and goals, but rather taking it on together with Someone who knows and loves us. Not building my life alone, but in a loving and trusting communion with
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
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
Alla mhux indifferenti lejn id-dinja – għaliex aħna qegħdin inkunu indifferenti?
Għandna raġel għani. Kien jagħmel ta’ bi ruħu li lil Lazzru ma jafux jew li mhuwiex jarah. Imma meta dan ir-raġel l-għani miet u kien fi stat ta’ tbatija lil Lazzru jsejjaħlu b’ismu meta lil Abraham jgħidlu: “Ibgħat lil Lazzru…” Dan mela kien id-dnub ta’ dan ir-raġel sinjur: mhux għax kien sinjur, mhux għax kien jiekol tajjeb u jilbes sabiħ, imma għaliex fil-għana tiegħu għalaq għajnejh għal min kien qiegħed
għeneb ħelu jew qares?
Din il-parabbola tirrakkonta fil-qosor l-istorja tas-salvazzjoni li hi storja ta’ mħabba min-naħa ta’ Alla imma kien hemm reżistenzi min-naħa tal-mexxejja tal-poplu t’Alla li qatlu lill-profeti u l-messaġġiera ta’ Alla, saħansitra lil Ibnu li miet barra s-swar tal-belt ta’ Ġerusalemm. Aħna llum l-poplu t’Alla. Aħna li naħdmu l-għalqa tad-dwieli. Huwa jistenna li jkun hemm il-frott, u l-frott li jibqa’. Il-mistoqsija li nistaqsu lilna nfusna Kif qegħdin nagħmlu dan? Kemm aħna aħjar
Nkunu fidili f’dak li nagħmlu u ngħidu
Hija parabbola li tista tħawwdek. Is-sid huwa bniedem sinjur, b’possibiltà li għandu l-art. Huma kienu jqabbdu ‘managers’ biex jieħdu ħsieb il-business tagħhom. Setgħu jagħmlu bejgħ, loans, jiġbru d-dejn u jħalsu d-dejn għas-Sid tagħhom. Huma persuni li kellhom ċertu awtorita, ma humiex skjavi, li f’misapproprazzjoni, jistgħu jitkeċċew u jkunu umiljati. Il-manager moħħu jilħaqlu. Kien tifel ta’ żmienu, fejn tagħlmu s-sistema tar-reward u punishment biex jagħmel pjan għalih fis-snin li jaħdem u
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
Mind the gap u l-fidi
Kull min ra xi dokumentarju jew qara xi artiklu dwar Londra jew kien xi darba f’din il-belt metropolitana, u għamel użu mis-servizz tal-underground f’din il-belt, jinduna li dan huwa avviż biex wieħed joqgħod attent għal vojt li jkun hemm bejn il-platform u t-tube tal-underground. Mind the gap saret l-frażi li ssibha fuq flokkijiet, tazez u elf ħaġa oħra biex tfakkrek f’Londra. Hemm distanza, li tista’ tkun ċkejkna jew kbira skont
lest titla’ l-muntanja?
Għalfejn jitilgħu fuq il-muntanja? San Mattew ma jgħidilnix għalfejn Ġesù flimkien ma’ Pietru, Ġakbu u Ġwanni jitilgħu fuq il-muntanja, bħal donnu l-importanti li joffrilhom din l-esperjenza qawwija. Għalfejn Ġesù jitla fuq il-muntanja mad-dixxipli? Nistgħu nobsru li Ġesù hawnhekk xtaq jitlob…jara li dak li qiegħed jagħmel huwa parti mir-rieda l-pjan t’Alla. U nistgħu ngħidu li f’din l-esperjenza jgħix l-imħabba t’Alla permezz tal-viżjoni tal-profeti (Mose u Elija) flimkien mal-leħen minn ġo sħaba.
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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