John Bernardo

What drew you to becoming an Augustinian?

I was drawn to the charism of the Augustinians of interiority and community life. I am a person who has a weak interiority, but I love being in community—being with people and getting to know their stories. The stories of other people have been very impactful to me because they keep me grounded. I can learn from their stories and gain lessons from their experiences that I can use in my daily life. That’s what I am receiving from my brothers and formators as they share their wisdom and spirituality with me, and most importantly, as I learn from St. Augustine himself through reading his Confessions and other important works. I believe that these experiences and encounters will enrich my interiority.

How has your faith grown since entering religious life?

Since entering, my weak interiority has grown, and I give credit to the book Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird, OSA. His book teaches me new ways to grow contemplatively and to go deeper into my heart to be with my Inner Teacher—Jesus Christ. My perspective on community life has also become stronger. Community life is not just a group but a family. Your story is part of my story, and it’s a continual learning from each other. As I go through Augustinian formation, my prayer now is: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, I am a sinner. Grant me the grace to carry my cross every day.

How important is prayer in your life?

It’s the bread and butter of my soul and the very core of my religious life. My prayer life is what keeps me going through this formation. My prayer life is what keeps me connected to God, the source of my strength, courage, and faith. Without my prayer life, I don’t know how I could go through this formation.

What do you do all day as a novice?

We have a very good structure every day. In the morning, we have morning prayer and Mass, then breakfast. We have a quiet time in the morning. After quiet time, we have class and then lunch. We also have In-Search every Thursday. We have a work period from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. Usually, after finishing work, I go to the gym at Villanova University or in the basement of the house to do my workout. I take a rest for a bit after working out. In the evening, we begin with evening prayer and dinner. I spend my evening quiet time in the library and conclude it with night prayer in the chapel.

What’s one thing you wish you knew before entering that you know now?

I wish I knew more about St. Augustine. I only knew the most basic information about him—that he was the Bishop of Hippo, the Doctor of Grace, and the wayward son of St. Monica. I didn’t know who the real Augustine was, what he went through during his childhood, or his struggles when he was studying. How deep was his relationship with his mother? And most importantly, how did God move in his life, and how did His grace and wisdom lead him to conversion? I wish I had known him in a much deeper sense, and not just as a bishop. I remember his very words: “Saints have a past, and sinners have a future.” I wish I had known his past, which taught him to reach his future.