We came together for assembly for the first time in a couple of weeks and presented awards to a number of rowers who performed well at the South Island Championships last week. Although the Canterbury Secondary Schools Athletic Championships were cancelled last week, a number of athletes were presented awards for performances earlier in the term.

Promotions of the Polynesian Festival and the Combined Secondary Schools Mass featured as well.

A very good presentation of the World Challenge group’s trip to Costa Rica and Nicaragua was the major presentation; here is an opportunity for boys to live and work in another culture and experience something completely new and different. I got the sense that for many of these boys the experience will have a lasting impact in their lives. There are a few images below of the trip.

In my message I acknowledged all the activity going on congratulating the boys for getting involved in and out of the classroom.

I also asked how their Lenten reflections were going and share this brief reflection for you as well...

How is your Lent going?

How are those resolutions going – of not just what you’ve given up but what else extra you might be doing.

Some may be going well – some averagely – some poorly. It doesn’t matter… Another way to think is to link Lent not just to a spiritual reminder but to what you do daily in all aspects of your life – yes it may be go to rosary/benediction, etc, but it also may be that I stop swearing in my conversations, how I relate to those closest to me, …link Lent to how it shapes you as a person well after Lent is finished. It’s a period to help form character – the Church’s way to help self-awareness and self-improvement

Realise that Lent is the Church’s way of reminding us what God did for us – send his son on this earth so we could be saved from our sins.

In turn, therefore, also it’s a message – get on with our lives – looking to develop and being better men, living them fully and whole-heartedly – using the gifts that God gave you to the best effect and by taking advantage of all the opportunities the College offers you as this assembly illustrates.

Until next week

Justin Boyle