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
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
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
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
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
3. Enjoyment
3. Enjoyment – What do you like doing; not just for leisure or fun – but what kind of work and activities do you enjoy most? Which bring the best out of you and gives you satisfaction at the end of a hard day? How to Discover your vocation – Stephen Wang
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
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
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Silta li tkellimna fuq il-maħfra. Lkoll rċevejna xi azzjoni ħażina fejn weġġajna u fejn sibna li naħfru lil xulxin hija xi ħaġa diffiċli. Ġesù jfakkarna li l-maħfra hija waħda mill-marki li tagħmilna dixxipli veri tiegħu. Li taħfer ma hix xi magic, jew xi automatic switch. Hemm proċess ta’ fejqan. Hemm bżonn nitolbu għaliex it-talb inissel fina l-Ispirtu ta’ Ġesù, li hu spirtu ta’ ħniena u ta’ maħfra. Il-maħfra hija diffiċli.
ejja…
Żewġ ‘heroes’ Elija jaħrab minn sitwazzjoni diffiċli, ir-reġina Ġeżabel riedet toqtlu għax hu kien qatel lil profeti li kienu qegħdin imorru kontra t-tagħlim tal-Mulej, dawk li jissejħu Baal… sitwazzjoni partikolari għax hu beda jħossu importanti u li qiegħed jirnexxielu, fuq kollox qiegħed jagħmel dak li kien qallu l-Mulej biex jerġa’ jiġbed lil poplu wara t-tagħlim tiegħu u mhux wara dawn il-profeti foloz…ħass ukoll li m’għandux bżonn l-għajnuna tal-Mulej. Ħassu hero!
Augustine of Hippo: A Biography
Augustine of Hippo: A Biography Peter Brown This classic biography was first published forty-five years ago and has since established itself as the standard account of Saint Augustine’s life and teaching. The remarkable discovery of a considerable number of letters and sermons by Augustine cast fresh light on the first and last decades of his experience as a bishop. These circumstantial texts have led Peter Brown to reconsider some of
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
lesti nirriskjaw?
‘Ejjew warajja’ Fl-Vanġelu, l-Evanġelista San Mark jippreżentalna lil Ġesu’ jsejjaħ l-ewwel dixxipli. Huwa rakkont sabiħ ħafna għax fih aħna nistgħu naraw is-sejħa li Ġesu’ jagħmel lilna ukoll fil-ħajja tagħna. Ma ninsewx, li Alla jsejjaħ lil kulħadd biex jimxi warajh, ovvjament min bi stat ta’ ħajja u min b’ieħor. ‘ikalaw ix-xbiek fil-baħar’, ‘qegħdin isewwu x-xbiek’ – San Mark jgħidilna eżattament x’kienu qegħdin jagħħmlu l-aħwa meta sejħilhom Ġesu’. Kemm Indri u Pietru
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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