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
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
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.
għinni biex inxerred il-fwieħa tiegħek
Għażiż Ġesù, għinni biex inxerred il-fwieħa tiegħek kull fejn immur. Fawwar il-qalb tiegħi bl-Ispirtu u l-Ħajja tiegħek. Idħol ġewwa fija u ħu kontroll tiegħi nnifsi kollni kemm jien, b’mod li l-ħajja tiegħi tkun tirrifletti lilek biss. Iddi minn ġo fija, kun ġo fija b’mod li kull persuna li niġi f’kuntatt magħha tħoss fija l-preżenza tiegħek. Ħalli jħarsu u jaraw mhux aktar lili, imma lilek biss! Ibqa’ miegħi, ħalli nsir niddi
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
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
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
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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.
Huwa preżenti fina
Illum hija l-festa ta’ Pentecoste…waħda mill-isbaħ festi. Hija l-festa tal-Ispirtu s-Santu… Minn din il-ġurnata l-Ispirtu kien “mogħti”, u nirċevuh u nirrikonoxxu d-don ta’ Kristu Rxoxt. L-Ispirtu li jagħti l-qawwa, li huwa preżenti f’kollox, preżenti fil-kultura tagħna. Huwa wkoll l-Ispirtu li bil-kwiet u tul iż-żmien jipperparana biex ngħixu l-fidi. Huwa l-Ispirtu li qed preżenti f’kull mument tal-ħajja tagħna. Mingħajru, ma nkunx l-istess. U grazzi għad-doni tiegħu, nista’ nimxi, nimxu f’dan il-vjaġġ
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
agħtuhom intom x’jieklu…lest tagħti l-ftit tiegħek?
Id-dixxipli jduru fuq Ġesu’ biex jibgħat lin-nies lura , għax rawha xi ħaġa kbira, xi ħaġa diffiċli li n-nies li kien hemm jibqgħu magħhom mingħajr ikel u post tajjeb fejn jistrieħu… Imma Ġesu’ jemmen fihom, jemmen f’dak li għandhom, fil-ftit li jistgħu joffru – agħtuhom intom x’jieklu… L-ewkaristija tħeġġiġna biex nagħmlu l-parti tagħna anke jekk hija żgħira u tista’ tidher insinifikanti…nistgħu nwasslu lil Kristu lil oħrajn…imqar b’xi ħaġa żgħira… Ipprova
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
reġgħu lura, isebbħu u jfaħħru lil Alla
Fl-ewwel jum tas-sena il-knisja tiċċelebra l-festa ta’ Marija Omm Alla, privileġġ uniku ta’ Marija. Fit-tieni qari, San Pawl jgħidilna li permezz tat-twelid, l-mewt u l-qawmien ta’ Ġesu’, aħna issa m’għadniex aktar ilsiera iżda ulied. Quddiem dan, wieħed jirrifletti kemm il-bniedem huwa prezzjuż quddiem Alla, tant li għollieħ għall-istat ta’ iben. Alla ma ġiex fid-dinja biex joħdilna xi ħaga, iżda biex jagħtina. Alla m’għandu bżonn xejn minn għandna, huwa l-bniedem li
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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