“ … we need to heed very carefully the needs of the Church and of society, and lend our assistance so that the questions raised by those with whom we work can be identified in a clear manner and solved more quickly. Amongst these one can mention, the protection of life, human rights, the situation of immigrants, the dignity of women, the protection of young people, justice and peace, a more balance economic order, the custody of nature etc……Therefore the superiors in their respective jurisdictions should promote those activities that lead the communities and the religious brothers to take a more active part in the work of the Church and civil society, especially with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) of the Order within the United Nations” (Constitution of the Order of St. Augustine No 185.
The aim of the Justice and Peace Commission within the Augustinian Order is to promote Peace by means of Justice. Pope Paul VI, in his teachings states that if we need to live in peace we need to struggle in to have justice. Justice is a visible sign that the will of God is being carried out in the fulfilment of the new commandment of Jesus to love our neighbour as He Himself has loved us. With all this in mind, the Justice and Peace Commission should have as its aim to encourage the faithful to follow the Lord’s commandment. It also should throw light on those situations of injustice, where peace is missing, very often because of the lack of very basic things: lack of shelter, food, education……. Due to this the Commission works to make sure that these realities are well known first of all by its own members, but also by the public by means of various activities organized by it.
Despite the fact that Malta is a small country, we are not aware of many realities where there is injustice and lack of peace. Certain people are experiencing difficult times and situations. This is the reason why members of the Augustinian Order are engaged in this field, sharing their experiences in the Church and with other religious orders. This is a sign of fraternity and unity first and foremost amongst Christians as well as unity with other denominations.
With these aims in mind the Justice and Peace Commission assists Christians in taking the necessary steps to help those in need, feeding the hungry and the thirsty, clothing the needy, visiting prisoners and giving every possible type of assistance possible. All this is done to Jesus and not FOR Jesus. With these fundamental principles the Maltese Augustinian Province lends its share for a better world.
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