The Augustinian Friars in Britain
Our Hearts are Restless until they Rest in You, Lord
The Order of St. Augustine (Augustinians) is an order of brothers - many of whom are priests - within the Catholic Church.
The Order was founded in two successive stages (1244 and 1256) when groups of religious living in Tuscany were united to form the Order under the rule and spiritual inspiration of St. Augustine.
Today there are over 2,700 Augustinians serving in around 40 countries in the various continents. We are from the Province of England and Scotland.
Latest News
A visit to the Community of Discernment
Augustinians in Print - Feb 10
AYE10 Preparatory Committee Meeting Jan 10
Woodvale Fundraising for young people
Austinform Dec 2009 Newsletter
Friends National Meeting Oct 09
HAITI
Where was God?
What is there left to say about the tragedy in Haiti?
All the adjectives have been used up. The ‘story’ is gradually slipping through the pages from front-page with dramatic pictures and full reports on several pages inside to a short report somewhere inside and soon to disappear.
For the people of Haiti, the reality will not disappear soon, if ever. When the immediate tasks of finding survivors and dead bodies, of clearing the rubble, of meanwhile finding an on-going source of shelter and sanitation, of food and drinking water are under way, then the planning of the longer-term future will develop.
In these natural disasters, the question ‘why?’ always arises, how can a good God allow such things, causing poor and innocent people to suffer so much? The question ‘why?’ has been asked from the beginning and is addressed but not completely answered in the Book of Job. Job does establish, confirmed in the Gospel by Jesus, that such suffering is not because of sin committed by the victims. ‘Why, then?’ The simple, honest answer is ‘we do not know.’
‘Where is God in such cases?’ That is a question for which an answer can be attempted. There is the story told by Elie Weisel from Auschwitz of a child being publicly hanged in front of the inmates who were forced to watch and a prisoner muttering ‘Where is God? Where is He?’. Weisel heard a voice within him say ‘There He is. Hanging on this gallows.’ For him that was the death of God. Could that hanging body not also be the crucified Son of God?
What we celebrated at Christmas is that God’s Son took on our human nature, flesh and blood, ‘emptied himself of his divinity’, with no escape clause in case things went wrong. Christ identified with even the least of human beings—whatever you do (or fail to do) to one of these, you do (or fail to do) to me. His ministry was a ministry of healing and liberation, which he entrusted to us to continue.
Where was God? He was, and is in the dead and the maimed, in the bereaved and destitute survivors, and is ministered to by the countless people throughout the world who contributed great sums of money, and by the members of the relief agencies, whether specifically religious or not. They are the compassionate presence of Christ, even if they do not recognise him in themselves. The whole of the relief effort has this in common: those who contribute even the widow’s mite, to governments with their millions, the men and women who share the sweat and the dust in bringing aid: they give and expect nothing in return except the well-being of the other. That is the meaning of love.
And (the answer to the question): where there is love, there is God.
[Photo: Originally posted to Flickr as Haiti Earthquake, Photo Marco Dormino/ The United Nations United Nations Development Programme]
AYE 10
Meeting of Preparatory Committee
The Preparatory Committee had their monthly meeting in Hammersmith on 28 January.
Progress Report: The AYE website has had 13,500 hits since June.
Regions were asked to submit estimates of possible numbers—at present totalling more than the centre can hold, across 17 countries.
18 volunteers have so far signed up and it is hoped to have up to 40 at the ‘Come and Volunteer’ weekend at SPEC in March.
Articles have been published in the Scottish Catholic Observer, Westminster Record, Easter Daily Press.
A monthly AYE newsletter is widely distributed.
28 areas of major responsibility were listed at our previous meeting and names attached to each. All 28 have accepted their responsibility.
An AYE prayer has been composed, which will be printed and distributed.
There was a report on financial expenditure to date.
Assistance is being given to those countries which may experience difficulty in getting visas. In some cases, financial assistance is being arranged and fund-raising events being held.
Agenda:
The main activity of the meeting was to work through the details of the programme day by day and continue to fill in the gaps.
Some speakers have agreed to direct workshops. Others have been proposed and will be approached. It is expected that the speakers will come under their own steam (financially).
Much thought is being given as to how to transcend the language barriers and to ensure that even those from a minority language group will be respected.
Further promotion of the event in our parishes was seen to be necessary and various activities were suggested. Each of our parishes will be asked to produce a banner, and some ideas were suggested about uniformity of size and purpose.
In particular, the details of the day in Clare were ironed out. The main event will be the Mass, but also the story of Clare, a tree-planting to commemorate the event and some hours in Cambridge, including evening prayer in St John’s College led by our youth . The day will include a session on religious vocations.
An idea was floated to invite parish groups to join us on the day at Clare Priory.
etc.
We expect to be joined by some of the International Commission at our February meeting (25th). An AYE song is being composed. The details of the prayer sessions are being worked out at each meeting...