Tekau mā rua - Rāpare 12 Hakihea - Wahine/Wāhine

Day 12 - Thursday 12th December - Wahine/Wāhine

He kaupapa mō te rā

Wahine/Wāhine

Wahine means a woman, while Wāhine means women. ‘Wahine toa’ is an expression of a strong and courageous wahine. Many wahine toa have set in place the importance of wāhine in our lives and narratives. The young wahine toa Mary was a necessary part of the plan for the birth of God’s son on earth. Mary’s obedience to God’s will on her young life is testament to her kaha (strength). A further expression of Mary’s tenacity is, “Ka niwaniwa te wahine tērā ki tāna mahi ā tutuki noa - That woman will persist with her task until it is completed. There were many wāhine that played a pivotal part of the first Christ-mas story too. Wāhine Toa, thanks be to God!

He Karaipiture (Bible Reading)

Ruka/Luke 1:26-38

Nā, i te ono o ngā marama ka tonoa a Kapariera, te anahera, e te Atua ki tētahi pā o Karirī, ko Nahareta te ingoa, ki tētahi wāhina i taumautia mā tētahi tangata, ko Hōhepa te ingoa, nō te whare o Rāwiri; ko te ingoa o te wāhina ko Meri. Nā, ko tōna haerenga ki roto, ki a ia, ka mea, “Tēnā koe, e te wahine kua manakohia nei; kei a koe te Ariki, ko koe te manaakitia i roto i ngā wāhine.”

Otirā, he nui tōna oho ki taua kupu, ka whakaaroaro ki te tikanga o tēnei ohatanga. Nā, ka mea te anahera ki a ia, “Kei wehi koe, e Meri; kua paingia hoki koe e te Atua. Nanā, tērā koe e hapū, ka whānau he tama, ā, ka huaina e koe tōna ingoa ko Īhu. Ka nui ia, ka kīia hoki ko te Tama a te Runga Rawa; ā, ka hoatu ki a ia e te Ariki, e te Atua, te torōna o Rāwiri, o tōna pāpā. Hei kīngi hoki ia mō te whare o Hākopa ake ake; e kore anō e mutu tōna rangatiratanga.”

Nā, ka mea a Meri ki te anahera, “E pēheatia tēnei, kāhore nei hoki ahau e mōhio ki te tāne?”

Nā, ka whakahoki te anahera, ka mea ki a ia, “Ka tae te Wairua Tapu ki runga ki a koe, ka taumarumaru iho te kaha o te Runga Rawa ki runga ki a koe; nō reira hoki ka kīia te mea e whānau mai he tapu, ko te Tama a te Atua. Nā, ko tōu whanaunga, ko Erihāpeti, kua hapū hoki ia i tōna rūruhitanga, he tama; ā, ko te ono tēnei o ngā marama ki a ia, i kīia rā he pākoko. Kāhore hoki he kupu i ahu mai i te Atua i kore e whai mana!”

Anō rā ko Meri, “Inā, te pononga a te Ariki; kia pērātia ahau me tāu i kōrero ai.” Ā, mawehe atu ana te anahera i a ia.

In the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy God sent the angel Gabriel to a town in Galilee named Nazareth. He had a message for a young woman promised in marriage to a man named Joseph, who was a descendant of King David. Her name was Mary. The angel came to her and said, “Peace be with you! The Lord is with you and has greatly blessed you!”

Mary was deeply troubled by the angel's message, and she wondered what his words meant. The angel said to her, “Don't be afraid, Mary; God has been gracious to you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king, as his ancestor David was, and he will be the king of the descendants of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end!”

Mary said to the angel, “I am a virgin. How, then, can this be?”

The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and God's power will rest upon you. For this reason the holy child will be called the Son of God. Remember your relative Elizabeth. It is said that she cannot have children, but she herself is now six months pregnant, even though she is very old. For there is nothing that God cannot do.”

“I am the Lord's servant,” said Mary; “may it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.

Whakarongo/Titiro Mai (Listen/Watch)

The stained glass window in the video is from the Lady Chapel at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Auckland. Mary’s surround is taken from Luke 1:46-47, ‘My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Saviour’.

This waiata written by Manu Collier, and sung by the Auckland Anglican Māori Club, was first performed at an Auckland Senior Kapahaka in 2000. Manu has shared the story around why she composed this waiata. Her whānau returned from Australia who then prepared her backyard for a unit to be built - turning it into a mudbath then concrete, and building materials. In the midst of all the melee Manu noticed a beautiful Viola flower poke itself up through the mud and go on to flourish. Her inspiration is that Papatuānuku, even with all the pressures placed on her, still had the resolve and strength to survive and produce. So, it’s a waiata celebrating the kaha (strength) of wāhine.

The words of the waiata “Wāhine mā” are:

Wāhine ma, kia mau ki tou ataahua, (retain your beauty/mana/strength), kei pera i, te huia, kei ngaro, i te po. (don’t remove or lose it to the night). Wāhine ma, he nui ra nga, pehitanga, (there are many pressures), kei runga ia, tatou katoa, kia kaha. (we must all hold ourselves up and be strong). Kei a koe anake, te tapu, o te whare-tangata (Only we hold the sanctity of the womb), he taonga miharo i tukuna mai, e te Atua. (a wonderful gift from God). Titiro atu ki a Papatuanuku mai, i te wehenga, (Look at Papatuanuku when split apart), kei te kaha ake tonu ia ki te whakapai, i te whenua, (she continues to survive/produce, e raweke tonu ana tukino ana nei, e te hunga tangata. (whilst humanity abuses her). No reira, wāhine ma, kia mau ki tou ataahua. (retain your beauty/mana/strength)…

Ngā mea waihanga (Create)

These mini poi are made from old doilies and pillow filling. They make a great replacement for the environmentally harmful baubles that adorn most trees. Dipped in dyes, teas, and other colouring produces much more friendlier alternatives to the annual Christ-mas tree ensemble.

Poi are swung vigorously in kapahaka (cultural groups), usually by wāhine, and will accompany waiata (songs) in a splendid display of rhythm and flight.

The Auckland Anglican Māori Club

He Whakaaroaro (Reflect)

God’s plan to become one of us, to become God-With-Us, involved our young wahine Mary. Her experience of being the whaea (mother) of the son of God set her apart, yet there were also other significant wāhine at the first Christmas, central to God’s story. We meet Elizabeth, Mary’s whanaunga (cousin), confidante, friend, supporter, encourager and safe person. Throughout the life of Jesus in the Gospels, we meet other women who supported, loved and worked alongside Jesus. God’s story invites us to respect and honour wāhine. Christmas is a good season to acknowledge the wāhine who have spoken into our lives, the women who have gone before us; our whaea, grandmothers, aunts and cousins. The wāhine who are in our lives now; friends, partners, wives, neighbours, daughters, and mokopuna (grandchildren).

Whakahokia mai (Respond)

Come alongside a wahine in your own life and do something supportive today to show that you honour and respect their role in your life.

Karakia (Pray)

Almighty God, you sent forth your Son who was born of a wahine. Pour out your grace and heavenly blessing on all wāhine. Grant that as Jesus numbered wāhine among his followers and received their minitatanga (ministry) in his life and at his death, so the wāhine of our day may serve adorned with the gifts of Wairua Tapu (Holy Spirit) to tell of your greatness to this and to all generations. Amen.

Subscriber Contribution

Mary Nicholas sent this photo by email with the title simply, “Enjoy!” We look forward to the video tomorrow also provided by Mary.