Prep Talk

Fr. Reilly Discusses Augustinian Spirituality

Posted December 9th, 2015

The word “spirituality” is hard to define. It is malleable; suitable for a variety of meanings depending on the context of its use. We at the Prep are very fortunate to have a historical context in which we use the word. St. Augustine’s life and works recommend a way, an approach to life, a philosophy of living all imbued by God. We call this charism of Augustine, Augustinian Spirituality. The essence of Augustinian Spirituality is that we tend towards God continually and insatiably, consciously and unconsciously, in order to enjoy the infinite good that fulfills our desire for happiness, because God has made us for himself and our hearts are restless until they rest in him.

Nothing human is foreign to us, but rather involves us more in the world, the ambit of God’s love and of encounter with Him. For the Prep Community, Augustinian Spirituality means that we find God within, interiorly, and without, in the other. Respect for self and for others, therefore, is paramount and the hallmark of our life together.