Thought for the Day (Dec 7)

Subject: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 10:09 AM

If St. Cecilia is the patron saint of highclass music, the patron saint of folk music should be St. Francis of Assisi (saint of many things). Francis was the son of a merchant who spent much of his time in France (hence the name), and brought back with him, or fostered in his son, troubadour music. When Francis turned his back on the rich life, and went out wandering the roads, he was often found singing and dancing new troubadour songs to God, and is famous for his songs to his lady love, Lady Poverty. More important, his singing came out of his belief in God's world of abundance, for which his voluntary poverty -- Take no thought for the morrow, God will provide -- was a symbol. He was the creator, or recreator, after Jesus, of the belief in the dignity and special grace of the poor -- and the Christmas scene of Jesus in the cradle was his invention. He was enraptured with the discovery that God was prepared to shower spiritual wealth on those who truly believed, who had faith in the gifts of God, who hurled themselves away from a world of greed and grasping -- greed and grasping being a lack of faith in the constant providing love of God. It is this rapture, this humble ecstacy in the outpouring of the original abundance of the universe, that made him sing so spontaneously, and is at the heart of folk music at its celebratory best.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: katlaughing
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 10:17 AM

Does this mena I should take down my antique picture of St. Cecilia with little cherubs dropping flowers on her from on high, Peter?**BG**

Beautifully written, as ever, and I couldn't agree with you more. Let's adopt St. Francis as the official Patron Saint of the Mudcat!

luvyaKat

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 10:59 AM

No, I don't think so. Here we go with the saints and monk thing again huh Peter? Well listen up......I am less than inclined to take your advice on anything of this nature after your "Thought" last week regarding trees and a roomful of silent monks. I asked then about the possibility of using monks as tonewoods based on your dubious analogy, but owing to your intelligence, I figured you would not have posted such a thought unless there was something to it. MY mistake.

At no little expense, I acquired a few monks of varying persuasions such as Gregorian and Buddhist, etc. I took them to the mill to have them quartersawn and when I brought the monk billets home I neatly stacked them in a drying pattern to properly air dry for use. I should have known better than to trust you on such a thing considering your recent interaction with the Waylon Heron.

In any case, I finished the stack and evidently I should not have acquired the Buddhist variety of monk, as within 15 minutes the entire stack went up in flames. The financial loss has been considerable.

For these reasons, I'm personally advocating that St. Frank just keep feeding the birds and you need to locate the Waylon Heron and take care of him. BTW, what ARE you doing about that? I certainly haven't seen his picture on any milk cartons!

Spaw

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: Roger the skiffler
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 11:46 AM

Here at the Neil Young Center our patron is St Jude (or Hey as his friends called him), patron saint of lost causes.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: MMario
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 11:49 AM

I've always thought that if I have a patron saint it should be St. Dismas

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 11:59 AM

Yesterday was St Nicholas' day, patron saint of Russia, Aberdeen, parish clerks, pawnbrokers, boatmen, fishermen, coopers, dockers, travellers (until Christopher got in on the act), pilgrims, prostitutes and small boys. Oh, and those who had unjustly lost law suits.

Is that everyone covered then??

LTS, who was unjustly sacked and is awaiting the law suit, is not a small boy, but is at present, parish clerk (administrator as we call them now....)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: catspaw49
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 12:08 PM

So Squeaks...Were you unjustly sacked over a discrimination thing owing to your chest hair problem? And you seem knowledgable about lawsuits, so do you think I can sue Peter for my losses incurred when the stack of monk billets flamed up?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: Peter T.
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 12:21 PM

Dear CP,
As usual, you have rushed in too quickly, generating flames on the basis of your own flawed assumptions. It is well known that:
1) Benedictine monks should be avoided, because of their alcoholic content (I assume that is what you mean by Gregorian monks);
2) Tibetan Buddhist monks are multivoiced, and should be used with care in musical instruments;
3) Franciscan monks are well seasoned for folk music (folk music);
4) Dominicans can be used in folk music with care. Those of us who remember Sister Sourire will recall that her song about "Dominique" was a hero worshipping song to this guy who went around promoting hatred against Albigensians ("combatti les Albigeos!").
5) Monks from Mount Athos are pre-dryed, and should not be stacked, certainly not against each other.
I hope this helps.
yours, Peter T.
P.S. I have received a ransom note concerning the Waylon Heron, and have been requested not to say anything. this is good, because it seems to be in Betelgueuseian.

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: sophocleese
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 01:00 PM

Peter, be thankful the ransom note wasn't in Vogon.

"Oh freddled heron thy micturations are to me / As plurdled gabbleblotchits on a Waylon bee.."

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: Mbo
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 03:07 PM

Any things better that "A Little Ball of Green Slime I Found In My Armpit One Day." Vogon poetry. Yuck! Thanks, Peter, for the story of St.Francis. I know his story well. I wish there were more folks out there like him.

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: InOBU
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 03:11 PM

A Benidictine and a Fransican monk were aruguing about who Christ loved better. They decided to go to the source, so they put a wee note behind the alter before retireing for the night. In the morning, the little scrap of paper had been replaced by a parchment, with letters that were golden and glowing with an inner light. It said, Dear Brothers, I love Benidictnes and Fransican equally, Yours in Me, Jesus Christ SJ.

(a little Jesuit humor)

Subject: RE: Thought for the Day (Dec 7)
From: MMario
Date: 07 Dec 99 - 03:24 PM

gad, I hate it when a two word reference takes me out on a half hour web hunt......But at least I learned some of Dot's immortal poetry while hunting Vogon