RATANA'S MISSION

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 35, 10 August 1921, Page 9

RATANA'S MISSION

HOW HE BECAME' INSPntED,

A remarkable story of how Ratana, the' Maori failh-healer, became inspired to./perform his mifssion was told by tfce Rev. Piri Mtrnro, a member of Ratana's party, to a Chriatchurch audienoe last week.

Mr. Munro said he would tell, first of all, how the. wonderful .power of healing came to Ratana, who was an ordinary Maori, holding a small farm, and was about 40 years old. During the influenza epidemic' Ratana was impressed with the, appalling' amount of sickness, and he gave this much thought. One day, as he was sitting on his verandah; he noticed what seemed to be a ball of cloud rise from a large pond in front of the. house, and after flying over some sand-hills it burst. Ratana fell asleep, and knew no mare till he awakened in the evening, whilb still sitting 1 on -the verandah. Shortly after that he commenced to take peculiar fits and walked alone about the farm, crashing through fences and other obstacles. While in this peculiar mood he would not allow anyone to come near him. About this time, while sitting' with his family in fche sitting-room one day, his mind suddenly became a blank, and he sat in a, dormant state for five hours, till at night his wife roused him to go to bed. Later Ratana became subject to violent moods, and while in these he would break up the. furniture in .the house, and smash the ' telephone. He became so violent while in these moode that his wife arranged for him to be sent to the Porirua Mental Hospital. He was strapped to a . chair while the party wliich was to take him to the institution awaited the arrival of the train. Ratana was asleep, but half an hour before the train arrived he awakened, saw' his "bonds aod asked, "What is the meaning' of this?" They told hiui, and he said, "If you have any love for me; take these off," and they released liim. From that time onward, said the Rev. Mr. Munro, the violent fits had! not occurred.

Ratana remained at his farm, and one •day, while in th« sittingr-room, he no.ticed a ball of cloud, similar to the'ione he ihad Been previously from his verandah, at the other end of the room. As before, it burst, but this time it appeared to divide into two forms, and one seemed to became a celestial being. He slept again. ' • Ratana had a nine-year-old boy who had unsuccessfully undergone several operations in hospital, and he was to be sent to the hospital onoe more for another operation. Ratana eaid, "The boy will be operated on, but not by doctors. ,It will be by the hand of God." The boy was cared of his affliction, and from that time on Ratana did nothing else but attend to hundreds and hundreds of afflicted Natives. .Last Christmas he mvited the Natives to assemble at his small farm, wJIeTS he had; had a meeting-liouse erected. He did some wonderful healing, and peopk began to realise that the source of his .power wu something above the natural.