As a Christian school, St Dominic’s College encourages students to consider giving up or taking up something for lent. This tradition dates back to the first ‘lent’ when Jesus went to the desert and resisted temptation for 40 days and 40 nights, leading up to his death and resurrection. In the following years Christians prepared for the resurrection through fasting during lent.
Modern Christians, following in this tradition are asked to give up something seen as a temptation or take up something relating to Social Justice to improve someone else’s quality of life in preparation for Easter.
During Lent we ask the St Dominic’s students to subtract something so that we—or perhaps God—can add something new. If we give up an hour of video games, what do we do with those extra 60 minutes? If we give up lattes, what do we do with that money? Maybe its adding silence and stillness to a life full of noise and movement. Maybe we add prayer when we are usually silent toward God. Maybe God adds passion for serving the poor where we are usually pretty self-absorbed.
Patrick Rowan
Religious Prefect
