Motto and objective course 2018/2019

A single soul and a single heart directed towards God

1. Presentation and foundation of the motto

According to the guidelines of the Order for the sexennium, during the year 2019, once the stage
of reconfiguration of the provinces, we will focus on the theme "Creators of communion (United
Provinces and mission)." It is a historic moment for the Order where, in a special way, communion
and the union of forces towards the mission are reflected. To make this idea more accessible in
the educational reality, for the 2018/2019 academic year we propose the motto "One soul and
one heart directed towards God" together with the pedagogical-pastoral objective.

The motto is inspired by a thought of St. Augustine that appears in his commentary on Psalm 132
(In., Ps. 132, 2). The full text can be found at the following link by selecting Psalm 132

http://www.augustinus.it/spagnolo/esposizioni_salmi/index2.htm

Below we highlight an excerpt from it where St. Augustine uses that expression and clarifies its
meaning:

[Alluding to Psalm 132] This psalm is short, but very named and known. See how good and
delightful it is to live together the brothers! This sound is so nice that even those who ignore the
Psalter sing this verse. It is as sweet as charity is, that makes it live in union with the brothers. This,
brothers: How good and delightful it is to live in union with the brothers! It does not need
interpretation or explanation; but what follows contains something that must be clarified to those
who call. However, so that from this verse we know the total structure of this psalm, let us
consider again and again this first versillo, and let's see if it was said of all Christians: How good
and delightful it is to live in union! or there are some pointed and perfect people who live in union;
and, therefore, do not refer to all this blessing, but to some special, from whom, however, reach
others.

These words of the Psalter, this sweet sound, this pleasant melody both in the song and in the
comprehension, gave rise to the monasteries. Before this voice, the brothers who longed to live
together were encouraged. This verse was the trumpet for them. It sounded throughout the earth,
and those who were separated were assembled. The cry of God, the cry of the Holy Spirit, the
prophetic cry, could not be heard in Judea, but it was heard throughout the earth. Those among
those who were singing covered their ears not to hear this sound, but others opened them; those
of whom it was said: He will be seen by those who were not spoken of and will understand those
who did not hear him. However, very dear, if we consider things well, this blessing first received
the wall of circumcision. Well, did all the Jews perish?

Where did the apostles, children of the prophets, children of the shaken ones come from? I speak
like those who already know this. Where were those five hundred who saw the Lord after the
resurrection, as commemorated by the Apostle Paul? Where did those one hundred and twenty
who were together in one place after the Lord's resurrection and the ascent to heaven, upon
those who, being assembled, came, sent from heaven, as promised, the Holy Spirit on the day of
Pentecost? They were all from Judea and they were the first to live in common, because they sold
all that they possessed and placed the price of their goods at the feet of the apostles, as we read
in the Apostolic Acts: And it was distributed to each one according to each one. He needed, and no
one had property, but all things were common to them. What does it mean in one, or in union, or
united? That they had only one soul and only one heart in God. Then they were the first to hear:
See how good and delightful it is for the brothers to live together! They were the first to hear it.
But not only did they hear it, not only did this blessing and unity of the brothers reach them, but
this rejoicing of charity and offering to God came to later ones.

Some ideas to highlight from the text of St. Augustine:

• One of the main pillars of Christianity that St. Augustine emphasizes is that of the community.

• To live the community is to delight in the other, to be part of his life and to let the other be part
of ours: union of hearts, union of lives.

• But for St. Augustine the community does not remain on the human plane, but goes much
further: union of lives, union of hearts directed towards God.

• The reference to God is what gives meaning to the community. Otherwise it would be very
difficult for different people, from different contexts, with different concerns and objectives, to
reach a union of hearts.

• These desires inspired by the primitive community of Jerusalem were those that led St.
Augustine to found his first community, offering them the guidelines to live in harmony with a
single soul and a single heart directed towards God.

2. Augustinian value course 2018/2019

The PEI of the Order presents the Augustinian values that we want to have in our educational
centers, focusing each year on one of them. In line with the theme of this academic year, the value
we will enhance during this year will be that of the community.

According to Saint Augustine, "charity [...] is understood in this way: that it puts common things
before one's own and not one's common ones" (Saint Augustine, reg 5, 30).

Given the challenge of narcissistic and competitive individualism, the community is the experience
of an attitude opposed to selfishness, complacency and the understanding of leadership as power.
It is expressed through communication, communion of goods, acceptance of what is different and
the elaboration of common projects for the future.

3. Pastoral pedagogical objective for the 2018/2019 academic year

Based on the proposed Augustinian motto and value, during the 2018-2019 academic year we set
ourselves as a pedagogical-pastoral goal:

• First, to present the community as one of the foundations of Christian and Augustinian
spirituality.

• Encourage and deepen cooperative learning, networked pedagogies and global thinking.

• Present the elements insisted by Saint Augustine when speaking about the community.

• Develop common initiatives at local, national and international level with members of the
Augustinian Recollect family.

• Promote educational projects of the ARCORES network.

Therefore, during this 2018/2019 academic year we will try to integrate these objectives into the
programs and activities.
4. The poster

Inspired by the theme of the course, the poster proposed for the academic year shows a group of
people in the hand clearly differentiated by colors, but all with the same heart.

Various versions of the poster are available, both with languages and with different backgrounds
and styles. To expand the possibilities is also offered another form of poster that shows people
interconnected with each other.

5. Practical proposals

On the web www.educarnet.org you can find resources to put into practice this motto and
pedagogical-pastoral objective. Likewise, the Twitter profile @educar_net will share the initiatives
that arise in the different social networks using the hashtag # 1soul1heart

referring to a single soul

and only one heart.

6. Mottos for the next courses

As indicated in a previous communication, following the guidelines of the Order for the
sexennium, we have made an adaptation of the different topics to the educational reality. We
remember the slogans of the next courses:

Year 2019: Creators of communion (Provinces united and in mission).

Motto: "One soul and one heart directed towards God" (in., Ps.132, 2).

Augustinian value PEI: COMMUNITY

Year 2020: We are prophets of the Kingdom: poor, social projects, peripheries.

Educational slogan: "When you give, you receive" (s.123.5)

Augustinian value PEI: JUSTICIA SOLIDARIA

Year 2021: Creators of spaces for dialogue with the world and contemporary culture.

Educational motto: "Let us seek the truth together" (trin 1,3,5)

Augustinian value PEI: TRUTH

Year 2022: A common apostolic project.

Educational motto: "Let us build the house of God together" (ciu.22,18)

Augustinian value PEI: COMMUNITY (Since the theme of that year is better combined with the
value of the community, the value is repeated)

The motto and pedagogical-pastoral objective for the 2019 course will begin to develop in the
educational centers that start the course in August and September of 2018. Subsequently those
who start the course in February or May 2019 will continue.

You can get in touch with the educational section of the General Secretariat of the Apostolate at
edu@oar.it

With the best wishes, for the new course, receive a fraternal greeting.

Rome, June 1, 2018.