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“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in You.” —Saint Augustine
Introduction: Who are the Augustinians and why do we need their legacy now more than ever?
In a fast-paced, superficial, and often disenchanted world, the charism of the Augustinians rises like a beacon of deep meaning, authentic community, and tireless pursuit of the Truth. Who are the Augustinians? What makes them different? And why should you care today, in the 21st century?
The Augustinians are more than just a religious order. They are bearers of a vibrant spirituality, centered on love, interiority, and community. Inspired by one of the giants of Christian thought — Saint Augustine of Hippo — the Augustinians have crossed the centuries with a proposal that is not only still relevant but resonates powerfully with the wounds and longings of modern man.
This article invites you to delve into their history, understand their theological richness, and above all, discover how you can incorporate their spirituality into your own life — even if you don’t wear a habit or live in a monastery.
I. A Passionate History: From Hippo to the Heart of the World
The Order of Saint Augustine has its roots in Saint Augustine himself (354–430 A.D.), Bishop of Hippo, Doctor of the Church, and one of the pillars of Western Christian thought. Although he did not found a religious order in the formal sense, he lived in community with other clerics under a rule that later became known as the famous “Rule of Saint Augustine,” one of the oldest in Christianity.
The Birth of the Order
In the 13th century, during a period of ecclesial renewal promoted by Pope Innocent IV, several hermit communities were reorganized under a single rule: that of Saint Augustine. Thus, the Order of Saint Augustine (Ordo Sancti Augustini, O.S.A.) was officially founded in 1256.
Since then, the Augustinians spread throughout Europe and the world, leaving an indelible mark on theology, education, art, and missionary life. They founded universities, missions, and parishes, and played an active role in the intellectual and pastoral life of the Church.
Present-Day Presence
Today, the Augustinians are present in over 40 countries and continue to carry the Gospel with their unique style: open, reflective, communal, and profoundly human. They do not seek to impose, but to accompany. They do not claim to know everything, but they never stop seeking the Truth.
II. Augustinian Spirituality: Interiority, Love, and Community
Augustinian spirituality is one of the deepest, most realistic, and most transformative traditions in all of Catholicism. It can be summarized in three core principles:
1. Interiority: God Dwells in the Depths of the Soul
Saint Augustine taught that God is not found outside, but within: “Late have I loved You, O Beauty so ancient and so new… You were within me, and I was outside, and there I sought You.” In a world full of noise and distractions, this call to interiority is revolutionary.
Practical Application: When was the last time you made interior silence? To pray in the Augustinian way is to look inward, meditate on the Word, and let God speak in your soul — without masks or excuses.
2. Love: God Is Love, and True Love Builds Up
For Augustine, love is everything. But not just any love — rather, rightly ordered love, the kind that seeks the good of the other in God. The disorder of sin is, precisely, loving wrongly or loving what is not worthy of love.
Practical Application: Examine your loves. Do you love things more than people? Do you love God above all things? The Augustinian doesn’t repress love, but purifies it, elevates it.
3. Community: No One Is Saved Alone
One of the jewels of the Augustinian charism is its communal life. For Augustine, living in common is not a luxury — it’s a necessity of the soul. In community, we love, discern, grow, and correct each other in charity.
Practical Application: Do you have a community of faith? If not, seek one. Faith weakens in isolation. A prayer group, a parish, a Christian family… that’s where Christ becomes present.
III. Theological Legacy: Saint Augustine, the Timeless Giant
Augustine of Hippo is one of the most influential thinkers in Christian history. His works address themes as relevant today as they were in his time:
- The Grace of God: In contrast to modern self-sufficiency, Augustine reminds us that salvation is a gift, not an achievement.
- Original Sin: A key to understanding the wounded heart of modern humanity.
- The City of God: A masterpiece helping us distinguish between earthly power and the eternal Kingdom.
- Freedom and Desire: Topics that obsess today’s culture, already deeply explored by this Doctor of the Church more than a millennium ago.
His influence endures to this day. Pope Benedict XVI, for example, considered himself deeply Augustinian. And Pope Francis has also cited Saint Augustine numerous times as a source of pastoral inspiration.
IV. Augustinian Charism in the 21st Century: Urgent and Necessary
In times of extreme individualism, superficiality, “light” spirituality, and constant division, the Augustinian approach proposes:
- A faith that both thinks and feels.
- A Christian life that doesn’t flee from the world but transforms it from within.
- A constant search that doesn’t settle for easy answers.
- A community that sustains, accompanies, and truly loves.
The Augustinians are needed because the world needs interiority, love, and authentic communion.
V. How to Live as an Augustinian Today Without Being a Religious?
You don’t need to wear a habit to embrace Augustinian spirituality. Here are some practical ways to apply it in your life:
▸ Interior Prayer
Dedicate at least 10 minutes a day to interior silence. Don’t repeat words — simply go inward and seek God, who dwells in the depths.
▸ Reading Saint Augustine
Start with the “Confessions,” a beautiful, accessible, deeply human book. It will change your life.
▸ Faith Community
Join or form a group that prays, discerns, and shares the Christian life. Seek the good of others.
▸ Ordered Love
Make an Augustinian examination of conscience: What do you love? How do you love? Who should you love more?
▸ Humble Service
Don’t seek greatness. Love where you are. Be a light in your surroundings. As Augustine said: “Do what you can; ask for what you cannot do; and God will give you the strength to do it.”
Conclusion: And You — Do You Have a Restless Heart?
Augustinian spirituality is not a relic of the past. It’s a sure compass for a lost world. It’s a school of love, truth, and interior freedom. It’s a response to that thirst that nothing in the world can quench.
Perhaps, like Augustine, you’ve searched for God outside — in noise, in things — and have not found Him. Perhaps, like him, you need to hear that voice saying: “Return to yourself; in your interior dwells the truth.”
The Augustinians are still here, as sentinels of the soul, reminding us that the heart only rests in God.
Are you ready to live with a restless heart… but one that is heading toward heaven?
