Bread For the Journey

75 Years of Prayer in the Villanova College Community

When Jesus called his first followers, he seemed to know whom he was looking for. They were a group of ordinary men and women. He asked them to cast their nets into the deeper water. The humble people who first followed Jesus were amazed by the scale and the dignity of the mission he was offering. In Villanova’s 75th year, the invitation and challenge of Jesus Christ holds out the same promise.

The current generation of students sing “Ancient words will guide us home” with stirring passion. These ancient words prove to be a guiding light. Like Augustine, we continue with a simple discipline: to “take and read” the Scriptures in a moment of need, or celebration. With prayer, always we begin again.

The original Villanova prayer book, Take and Read: Prayers for young people was put together by former staff member Anna Barbaro in 1997. It has since been called upon by many staff members and students to nourish community life, lifting us to glimpse a wider horizon.

The arrangement of this collection follows the pattern used by Christian communities for close on 2000 years. There are morning prayers, which prompt us to action and a sense of purpose, and evening prayers beckoning us to reflect. We also offer some prayers for particular seasons. The prayers act as a bridge between ordinary, busy time, and sacred time. As with St Thomas of Villanova, they call us again to put our gifts and graces to service of the wider community.

Special

Editing Committee: Oscar Kallis, Archie Slee, Daniel Egert, Diego Wieczoreck, Alex Russ, Charlie Berridge & Nicholas Malanos.

Thanks: Mr John Holroyd, Mrs Courtney Green, Mrs Myriam Paul

Morning Prayers

O Lord, open our lips

And we shall praise your name. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord; hail the God who saves us let us come before him giving thanks with songs let us bless the Lord.

Come in; let us bow and bend low; let us kneel before the God who made us for he is our God and we the people who belong to his pasture the flock that is fed by his hand. (Psalm 94)

Come in; let us bow and bend low; let us kneel before the God who made us for he is our God and we the people who belong to his pasture the flock that is fed by his hand. (Psalm 94)

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen

May you awake every morning with thank you on your lips and in your heart, recognising that all is a gift, all is a blessing.

(Psalm 138:1)

The View from Mt Tamborine – Year 12 Retreat, 2018

Community Prayers

Called to service within community: Augustine sees the creation of community as one of the most important parts of being a Christian. He is inspired by a famous description of early Christian communities from the Acts of the Apostles

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (4:32-35)

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. The Word of the Lord.

From this passage, Augustine drew the vision of being “One in heart and mind on the way to God.” This is still a vital force at Villanova College, called “Cor Unum” spirit. This same spirit is called upon at many an assembly and form meeting.

A Prayer for our Community

(from the original Tolle Lege) Lord Jesus, this is our community. It is a place of work and play. A place of noise and of quiet. A place of laughter and of bickering, a place of happy and sad memories. Most of all, it is ours. Come into our community, Lord. Make it your home. Make it a place of peace and joy, of fun and laughter, of healing and forgiveness, of welcome and belonging. Let it never be a lonely place. Make it place full of life so that all who come here may know that it is a blessed place. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen You have made us for Yourself, O Lord – And our hearts are restless until they rest in You. The symbol of the Augustinian learning community is the book illuminated by a heart both pierced and aflame. The aim is to instil in each student and teacher a lifelong love of learning.

It is Villanova’s privilege to help serve people at risk at Emmanuel City Mission

School Life

Humble Beginnings

Prayer for every day:

Lord Jesus, we remember that even when you were in a hurry, you never lost your ability to treat other people with dignity, even under pressure greater than we will ever know. But we are only human. We grow tired. We feel the strain of meeting deadlines. We become frustrated. We need poise and peace of mind, and only You can supply the deepest need of tired bodies, jaded spirits, and frayed nerves.

Give to us Your peace and refresh us in our weariness, that this may be a good day, with much done, and done well: I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, Amen.

St Augustine the Teacher

A Prayer before Examinations:

Lord, the students of our community are today facing a significant challenge in their journey – in the form of External exams. We know that you walk with us every day, and we especially pray today that they (Year level, year) may be filled with calm focus and generous support of one other. May the Spirit of St Augustine and the Spirit of St Thomas shine out in all that they write today. And finally, may they draw comfort and strength from knowing that the support of the whole college community is with them. We pray that this may be a good day, with much done and done well. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord Amen.

Wellbeing

For Confidence & Wellbeing

Sometimes, Jesus, I become very discouraged. I become worried. I become anxious. Everything seems to fail. Help me at these times. Fill my heart with great confidence, with great love of You. Make me realise that at times of doubt and difficulty, I am being challenged to be the best person I can be. I make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen (From the original Tolle Lege)

Young Christian Students, 2019

Prayer for Tolerance: Augustine writes, “No one is fully known except in friendship.”

Gracious God, teach us to be tolerant people, challenge us to show love and compassion, especially towards people we don’t understand or like. Stop us from using aggression or power over them. Teach us to check our language when we would prefer to tease or put down. Show us how to look at what is likeable and good in everyone, and not just in our friends, Amen

Young Christian Students, 2018

The Light on the Hill:

Lord Jesus, You invited us to live together in unity and love. You helped all people see the light: the deaf could hear with your touch, the blind could see with your kiss, the lost could walk with your guidance, the dying woke back from the dead. With Your healing power, You make the world a better place. Help us to pattern our lives on Your example. Help us to let our light shine as You work through us. We make this prayer through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. (From Tolle Lege)

15 Years of partnership with Rosies

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference, Amen

St Augustine’s prayer for well-being (From The Confessions)

Let us not fear that there is no place for us to fly; because in you our wellbeing lacks nothing, for you are our wellbeing, O Lord. Even if you take us away from there, our house, your eternity, would not collapse. Because in you our wellbeing lacks nothing, for you are our wellbeing, O Lord.

Mission

Mission Day Prayer

"Blessed are they who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance."

We stand before you, Holy Spirit, conscious of our sinfulness, but aware that we gather in your name. Come to us, remain with us, and enlighten our hearts. Give us light and strength to know your will, to make it our own, and to live it in our lives. In particular, we seek to live Your will today, on this campus. Guide us by your wisdom, support us by your power, for you are God, sharing the glory of Father and Son.

You desire justice for all; enable us to uphold the rights of others; do not allow us to be misled by ignorance or corrupted by fear or favour. In other words, may we be true to ourselves and not be too worried about what other people think. Unite us to yourself in the bond of love and keep us faithful to all that is true. Unite us today with the families of the Philippines whom we humbly seek to serve. We ask this of You who live and reign with the Father and the Son, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

For leadership in Ministry

God in our endeavours to serve others, we pray that we may be spiritual people. Able to work with other communicate well admit our limitations, feel at ease with people, be committed to serving those who cannot help themselves. My we open to your spirit, share a sense of humour, plant seeds for others to nurture, and challenge injustice when we can. We make our prayer throughh Christ our Lord, Amen. (From the original Tolle Lege)

Thirty years of service to sister schools in the Philippines – through AFAS

Servant Kings:

Life is an opportunity, benefit from it.

Life is a beauty, admire it.

Life is bliss, taste it.

Life is a dream, realize it.

life is a challenge, meet it.

life is a duty, complete it.

life is a game, play it.

life is costly, care for it.

life is wealth, keep it.

life is love, enjoy it.

life is mystery, know it.

life is a promise, fulfill it.

Life is a sorrow, overcome it.

Life is a song, sing it.

Life is a struggle, accept it.

Life is a tragedy, confront it.

Life is an adventure, dare it.

Life is luck, make it.

Life is too precious, do not destroy it.

Life is Life, fight for it!.

(St Teresa of Calcutta, quoted in the original Tolle Lege)

Life

The main business of Villanova each day is learning within community:

Prayer in time of busyness

Merciful Father, we are reaching the busy time of term: assignments are coming in, all the co-curricular activities and training are in full swing, and each day we have to live out with energy and conviction. Give to us Your Strength and compassion. May we persevere in the tough times, knowing that it is the times of struggle that create lasting success. May we draw strength from each other, and from the example of so many Villa men and women who have made the same journey we walk today. In the end, guide us with Your Holy Spirit to what truly matters: may we always remember who we are, and remember to share our gifts and graces with the wider community. May we remember that what really counts, what really lasts, is who we are in Christ’s eyes. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen. You have made us for Yourself, O Lord And our hearts are restless until they rest in You

2022 Senior Cohort & Student Council Touchstone

Prayers by current Year 8 students

Dearest Lord, today challenged me with many temptations. Though I am faithful only to You, these hard times have caused me to stumble in my path. I raise my faith prayer to You, as I know only You will grant me salvation. Through the faith You have created in me, I know I will be able to face any challenges that test my faith and love for You. I pray for Your continued guidance to remain by my side so that I may become a follower deserving of Your eternal love. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Cayde 2023, Year 8)

“Become who you are not yet” (St Augustine) Heavenly Father, as I enter this new phase of life and come of age, I ask for your guidance and strength. Help me to navigate the challenges and uncertainties of this time with grace and wisdom, and to embrace the opportunities and responsibilities that come with growing up. As I seek to find my place in the world,

may I always remember the values and teachings of my faith, and may they guide me in all that I do. Grant me the courage to make choices that honour you and reflect the person you have called me to be, even when it is difficult or unpopular. May I always seek your will in my life, and may I trust in your love and mercy to sustain me through all of life's joys and struggles. As we navigate the tension between change and tradition in our lives, we ask for your guidance and wisdom. Help us balance change and tradition to evolve and grow to who we are meant to be. Amen. (Rudi 2023 Yr 8)

And so, we pray, We pray for the homeless and the poor, For the marginalised and the disadvantaged, For the scared and the lonely, For the confused and the lost, For the sick and the grieving, We pray God is with them tonight.

Amen (Oscar, Year 8, 2023)

God is always with you. He is with you with your joy, with your pain, with your success, with your failure; When you must pick yourself up; When you give yourself a break - Because he knows you are always trying to be your best self,

Amen (Archie, Year 8, 2023)

Gateway Values: Interiority, Search for Truth, Humility, Community – poster in a Year 8 classroom

Prayer to Mary, the first disciple

Let us pray: Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy. Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To you do we fly, poor banished children of Eve. To you do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this Vale of Years. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us, and, after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary, Amen.

Blessing of St Augustine

May the Lord Jesus Christ give you

A heart to love Him, A will to choose Him,

An understanding to know Him, A spirit which may always be united to Him.

And may the God of love and mercy love you forever.

Amen.

You have made us for yourself, O Lord, And our hearts are restless until they rest in You

A Prayer for Christian leadership:

Jesus says in Mark’s Gospel “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

What is it to be a great leader? We pray that the spirit of humble service will continue to animate the leaders of Villanova College. May our leaders never prefer status to service. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord. Amen

Model of leadership at Villanova

Sport & Music

Prayer for Sportsmanship

“Through unity, comes victory.” Loving God, You give us the true spirit of sporting endeavour. We see this true spirit when sport is used to create community and to include all different kinds of people. We thank you for the blessings and opportunities we enjoy at Villanova College in playing sports. We thank you for the teamwork, for striving to do our very best, and the spirit of unity created by good support. We acknowledge the inspiration provided by some students who have truly excelled in expressing their talents and passions through sport. May we always strive to do our best on the sporting field, both as athletes and as people. May we always strive to win the prizes that do not perish: respect in our own eyes, respect in the eyes of others, and respect in the eyes of God. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen

From Augustine’s Commentary on Psalm 150

In an orchestra, there are many different instruments. But all are tuned so carefully and played in harmony so that the audience only hears one melody. This must be our ideal: to be one orchestra for the Lord.

One the wall of the Augustine Centre

“Music bring people together” – Mr Gordon Hughes (Percussion Ensemble Conductor)

Percussion Ensemble, 2021

Prayers from Saints

Prayer of St Thomas of Villanova

I will love you Lord in every way and without setting limits on my love. You set no limits on what you have done for me, you have not measured out your gifts. I will not measure out my love. I will love you Lord, with all my strength, with all my powers, as much as I am able. Amen

(This is a favourite prayer to begin College assemblies)

St Augustine’s prayer of love in action. Augustine argues that the “Amen” to a prayer is putting it into action.

Augustine asks us the question, What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like. May we put love into action today. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A warm welcome of Augustinians, St James parish church, Coorparoo

Prayer of St Ignatius of Loyola

Teach us to be generous: to serve as you served, to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not to seek for rest; to labour and to ask for no reward, save that of knowing I do Your most holy will, Amen

Filipino friends whom we met in 2015

St Patrick’s prayer (said to have been composed in 433 CE, before converting the Irish King to Christianity)

Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left

Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise

Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of me,

Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me

I arise today Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, Through belief in the Threeness, Through confession of the Oneness of the Creator of creation.

Amen.

St Augustine’s Prayer of the Holy Spirit

Breathe in me, O Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Act in me, O Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Draw my heart, O Holy Spirit, that I love but what is holy. Strengthen me, O Holy Spirit, to defend all that is holy. Guard me, then, O Holy Spirit, that I always may be holy. Amen.

God of saving justice, of love and of hope. We remember that wherever Jesus went, he reached out to people who were poor, lonely, unloved, lost and afraid. By his healing hands and words, he brought comfort and peace to the poorest of people. He showed us that this is what God is like. God welcomes and reaches out to people who most need help, love and support. It is our privilege today to be Christ’s eyes, Christ’s feet, Christ’s hands and Christ’s heart. We pray that at Villanova College in this Jubilee Year, we will always reach out to those who most in need of help and support, on our campus, on our doorstep, and in places further afield. We make our prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful and kindle in them the fire of your love. Send forth your Spirit and they shall be created. And You shall renew the face of the earth.

O, God, who by the light of the Holy Spirit, did instruct the hearts of the faithful, grant that by the same Holy Spirit we may be truly wise and ever enjoy His consolations, Through Christ Our Lord, Amen.

Seasonal Holidays

Christmas

A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke: Glory to You,

O Lord

In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, watching their flock during the night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. Then the angel told them, “Stop being afraid! Listen! I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people. Today your Saviour, the Lord Messiah, was born in the City of David. And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a feeding trough.”

Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ

God our Loving Father, in the Holy family in that little stable in Bethlehem, you have given us a true model of a Christian family. Far from home, and forced to take shelter when it was time for Mary to give birth, they held each other close and shared a humble faith that God would look after them. Uncluttered by possessions, they were open to Your gifts of heavenly grace. Grant that by following Jesus, Mary and Joseph, in their love for each other and in the example of their family life, we may experience again this Christmas your gifts of Peace, Joy, Hope, and Love. We make this prayer through Christ Our Lord, Amen

Pope Francis on the Holy Family:

“Holiness is silently present in the heart of all those families that offer love, forgiveness and mercy when they see the need, and do so quietly, without great fanfare. The gospel of the family is truly joy for the world, since there, in our families, Jesus can always be found, dwelling in simplicity and poverty as he did in the Holy family of Nazareth.”

St Patrick’s Day

May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields. And until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of his hand. Amen

Easter – John 20: 1-9

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,

“They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in.

When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place.

Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed.

For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead. the Gospel of the Lord

Easter Litany

From the darkness of the grave

Blood poured out, a crown of thorns

Christ the Lord is risen to-day

ALL: Alleluia!

From the triumph that is won

Over the power and fear of death

Christ the Lord is risen to-day

ALL: Alleluia!

Walking from the empty tomb

Opening wide the gates of life

Christ the Lord is risen to-day

ALL: Alleluia!

Lord of life

You defeated death

To show that we can rise

From all that binds us to the world

Pride, envy, anger, fear

The debt of sin that holds us here

Christ the Lord is risen to-day

ALL: Alleluia!

Lord of life

You defeated death

To demonstrate a love that is Beyond our understanding

That reaches out even to me

Saving Grace to all who hear

Christ the Lord is risen to-day

ALL: Alleluia!

Remembrance & Acknowledgment

Anzac Day

Let us pray.

Gracious and loving God, you are the source of peace that the world cannot give. Kindly hear our constant prayer for those who bore witness by giving their lives for those they loved.

On this day of remembrance, we commend to you all who lost their lives in service to our nation in times of war or peace keeping. Give them life in our true homeland with you and perfect that peace for which they longed and died.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Resurrected Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Anzac Day Parade, 2023

We bow our heads and pray for God’s blessing.

The Father of mercies has given us an example of unselfish love in the sufferings of his only Son. Through your service of God and neighbour may you receive his countless blessings. Amen.

You believe that by his dying Christ destroyed death forever. May he give you eternal life. Amen.

Peace is God’s gift to the world. May the Holy Spirit be the breath of life to those who labour in the cause of peace. Amen.

Pentecost

Prayer for Boldness in God’s Work

God of Wind and Fire, we celebrate today the indwelling of Your Holy Spirit, which You sent upon the believers on the day of Pentecost, and which is our blessing today. Lord, we thank You for the transforming work of Your Holy Spirit in our lives and through our lives toward others. We thank You that You have given us boldness to proclaim the Gospel. Remind us to use Your power to do the work You have given us. We make this prayer, through Christ our Lord, Amen.

Prayer for Life-Changing Power

Breath of Life, on this Pentecost Sunday, we ask that You breathe on us once again. Make our consciences tender to Your touch. We hunger for the life-changing power that Your Holy Spirit brings. May our lives exemplify the fruit of Your Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May we use the gifts of the Spirit that You have distributed to bless the church and build Your Kingdom on earth. We make this prayer through Christ our Lord, Amen.

A Reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Augustine’s favourite reading about building community and cor unum spirit) 4: 32-35

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. The word of the Lord

Sorry Day For Our World

For the world in which we live, For its richness and its beauty, For its laws and all its wonders, For the sun that gives us light, For the stars that’s show your power, For all colour that renews us, We say thanks to you.

For the life of plants and trees, For the wonder of all animals, For the beauty of all birds, We say thanks to you.

Amen

(Extract from Pope John Paul IIs speech at Alice Springs in 1986)

Dear Aboriginal people: the hour has come for you to take on new courage and new hope. You are called to remember the past, to be faithful to your worthy traditions, and to adapt your living culture whenever this is required by your own needs and those of your fellowman. Above all you are called to open your hearts ever more to the consoling, purifying and uplifting

message of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who died so that we might all have life, and have it to the full.

Pope John Paul II at Alice Springs, 1986

Evening Prayers

O God come to our aid. O Lord, make haste to help us. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end, Amen

You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you;

I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you, As, in a dry and parched land where there is no water. I have gazed on you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.

I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. (Psalm 63: 1-5)

Evening prayer of St Augustine

Watch, Lord, with those who wake or weep tonight. Give the angels and saints charge over those who sleep.

O Lord Jesus Christ, tend your sick ones, rest Your weary ones, bless Your dying ones, soothe the suffering ones, pity all the afflicted ones, shield the joyful ones, and all for Your love's sake. Amen.

Evening Prayer of St John Henry Newman

O Lord support us all the day long of this troublous life, until the shadows lengthen, and the evening comes, and the busy world is hushed, and the fever of life is over, and our work is done. Then, Lord, in thy mercy, grant us a safe lodging, a holy rest, and peace at the last.

Amen

Villanova Community, 1953

“They were building with their lives the Church of tomorrow”

(to quote Augustine)

The Founding Young Priests

Augustinian

You have made us for Yourself, O Lord

And our hearts are restless, until they rest in You.