"Te Waru o Noema" A Catholic's Reflection

First off... Yes.

You read correctly.

I am no longer any other religion. I claim Jesus Christ as my Saviour and I follow my Saviour's direction in St. Matthew 16: 17 - 19.... I am seeking to be Catholic, which simply means I am seeking to follow Ephesians 4: 5. But more on that possibly for another blog entry.
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I want to first of all praise people in my Manurewa community. People who I can truly call Enlightened.
They are Apotoro Simon Pikimaui, Apotoro Kereama Pene, Joyal Pene and Raniera Pene. They've all worked tirelessly for many months, with 1 mission.... to unite people under the 1 God. They truly seek to fulfill the call of Ephesians 4:13 in order to achieve what is hoped for in Ephesians 4:15.

I salute them.

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You may know, that on their invitation, earlier this year, I attended Morehu Day. And it was at this day that I publicly declared, faith in Jesus and my return to Christianity.

To them I am grateful for such an incredible and unforgettable opportunity.
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Now to the subject I am discussing.

'Te Waru O Noema' the 8th of November, is a day for members of the Ratana Church to remember, in their accounts, of the reported visitation of Te Kawau-born farmer, Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana,  by the Holy Spirit in 1918.... just days before the end of the Great War.

Yes members of the Ratana Church believe that Tahupotiki Wiremu Ratana was visited by the Holy Spirit on the 8th of November 1918.

Those Ratana Members, credit this day with the arrival of the Holy Spirit to Maori.
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Of course, this is actually just part of a long line of events stretching back as 1814 when Anglican Reverend Samuel Marsden preached a Christian Sermon on Christmas Day at Oihi... or even as some report back in 1769, when in Taipa-Mangonui (Doubtless Bay) it is said that the first Catholic Mass was celebrated by Fr. Paul-Antoine de Villefeix on board the ship, Saint Jean Baptiste (St. John the Baptist). As a side note Jean-Baptiste, is the first name of the First Catholic Bishop of New Zealand, who is otherwise known as Bishop Pompallier. 
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It almost goes without saying that there were indeed other significant Maori Spiritual leaders like, Tawhiao, Te Ua Haumene, Te Kooti and many many others. 
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Thus, I say as a Catholic, that T. W. Ratana was one of many christians both Maori and Non-Maori to preach about the saving power of Jesus.

I want to add, that his mission to carry the Bible and Tiriti... is actually a mission began since the origins of Christianity in this land, Aotearoa New Zealand.

He simply affirmed the centrality of The Holy Bible and Te Tiriti for Maori People.

We can not forget that Te Tiriti was written, translated and distributed by Anglicans.

Further, the Bible is a gift to all the world, including Maori from the Catholic Church.

Thus, any who acknowledge these 2 important writings, should also acknowledge the ones who gave them to us, namely the Anglican and Catholic Churches respectively.
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I therefore use a day like today to acknowledge the integral part that Jesus Christ and his Church have played in the history of this Nation.

I ask all Christians in Aotearoa to remember Jesus today, on the 8th of November... because everything that today represents, whether you are Ratana, Catholic, Anglican OR Any Denomination or Church... all things originate in Christ as we are so reminded in Collosians 1: 15 - 17.