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
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
4. Skills
Skills – What are you good at? What are your gifts and skills and aptitudes? Not just your qualifications (although these are often relevant) but your gifts of character and personality too. How could you best use all that God has given you and make a difference? How to Discover your vocation – Stephen Wang
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
It is a journey that involves patience, honesty, perseverance…
The word ‘discernment’ is used to describe the whole process by which we listen to God and listen to our own hearts, gradually coming to know who God is calling us to be and where he is leading us. It is not something we just decide to do one afternoon, like baking a cake or watching a film. It is a journey that involves patience, honesty, perseverance, generosity, courage, and
5. Value
5. Value – Of the many projects and careers you are interested in, which of them are really worthwhile? Which allow you to contribute to something that is not just a waste of time? What do you actually believe in and want to promote? This doesn’t mean you have to choose a ‘religious’ or ‘charitable’ work – as if all the ordinary jobs people do in the world are a
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
l-imħabba t’Alla b’xejn
Kemm irrid naħfer? Kemm nista’ nirċievi imħabba mingħand Alla? Kemm ser nagħti imħabba? Kif nista’ naħfer? — Għadab u qilla – huma sentimenti naturali li jitilgħu fil-wiċċ meta nkunu mweġġgħin minħabba xi inġustizzja. Mhux faċli li naħfru u mhux xi ħaġa li tiġi mill-lum għal għada, huwa proċess, mixja li titlob minna ħafna kuraġġ u qawwa mill-Mulej. Kemm-il darba għandna naħfru? Pietru jistaqsi sa seba’ darbiet? Hawnhekk Pietru diġà qiegħed
inti parti minn mużajk sabiħ
Knisja Forsi malli nisimgħu din il-frażi Inti Pietru, u fuq din il-blata nibni l-knisja tiegħi… moħħna mill-ewwel imur fuq blata soda u allura naħsbu fil-Papa, l-isqfijiet, il-kardinali, għorrief eċċ.. insomma immorru għal irjus kbar li qegħdin imexxu l-knisja. IMMA ninsew li l-knisja hija magħmula minn diversi biċċiet, diversi persuni oħrajn. Bħal mużajk li anke l-biċċiet iż-żgħar huma importanti biex l-istampa tidher sabiħa u tagħmel sens inkella ma tkunx sħiħa. Kull
Augustinian Reflections on the Christian Life
Gilbert Meilaender, The Way that Leads There: Augustinian Reflections on the Christian Life, Wm B. Eardmans, Grand Rapids/mi, 2007 Santu Wistin ifformula dak il-ħsieb ta’ xewqa li “l-qalb tagħna ma ssibx kwiet jekk ma tistrihx fik, O Alla”. Gilbert Meilaender isostni li din il-frażi hija fiċ-ċentru tal-eżistenza tagħna. Ma huwiex ktieb fuq Santu Wistin jew it-tagħlim tiegħu fuq il-ħajja nisranija. Lill-qarrej jofri għadd ta’ riflessjonijiet fuq l-għexien nisrani li
The Confessions
In his Confessions, Saint Augustine reflects upon his life in the light of scripture and the presence of God. He begins with his infancy, pondering the many sins of his life before his conversion, and he confesses not only his sins but even more the greatness of God. This work presents a wonderful contrast between the Holy God who created all things and whom heaven and earth cannot
Is-sena t-tajba!
Is-sena t-tajba lil kulħadd. Nibdew sena ġdida b’xewqat sbieħ u tajbin. Nawguraw lil xulxin sena mimlija b’ħafna affarijiet sbieħ, li l-liturġija tal-lum tiġborha f’kelma waħda – BARKIET – Il-Mulej jbierkek, li l-Mulej jimlik bil-barkiet tiegħu matul din is-sena li għadna kif bdejna. U fil-fatt il-qari jurina b’mod konċiż x’tikonsisti din il-barka ta’ Alla: li naraw wiċċ Alla u li niltaqgħu miegħu, li ngħixu u nesperimentaw il-ħniena t’Alla, li hija l-imħabba
Liema ragħaj?
Jiena r-ragħaj it-tajjeb (Ġw 10:11) Illum f’Malta ma tantx għandna naraw ix-xena ta’ ragħaj jirgħa n-nagħaġ, biss żgur li ma kienx il-każ fi żmien Ġesu’, għax flimkien mas-sajd u l-biedja, dan kien xogħol komuni ħafna. F’dan il-Ħadd iddedikat għall-vokazzjonijiet, il-knisja tippreżentalna lil Ġesu’ bħala r-ragħaj li jagħti ħajtu għan-nagħaġ tiegħu biex dawn isalvaw. ‘F’ħadd ħliefu ma hemm salvazzjoni’ – Fl-ewwel qari nisbu din l-affermazzjoni qawwija li jagħmel San Pietru meta
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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