This is No. 6 from Debussy’s “Children’s Corner” Suite. This is the first time I have used a score from the International Music Score Library Project.

I have been delighted by this piece since I first heard it as a young lad, but I have only made opportunity to play it now, many years later. I hope you enjoy its playful nature.

Read more about my piano recording series here.

Debussy - Golliwog's Cakewalk [ 3:05 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

(crossposted from simplyexplained.com)

Under the Code of Canon Law, #917 through 921. notwithstanding the exceptions noted, may one receive Holy Communion outside of Mass? For example, one receives Holy Communion before Mass, because he or she can not stay for a Mass due to a prior personal commitment, say a doctor”s appointment. Or, one comes to Mass late, without good reason, to receive Holy Communion.

I am not a canon lawyer. You should consult one for definitive legal advice.

Canon #918 states

It is most strongly recommended that the faithful receive holy communion in the course of a eucharistic celebration. If, however, for good reason they ask for it apart from the Mass, it is to be administered to them, observing the liturgical rites.

As far as I know, “good reasons” only include severe restrictions such as illness which renders the person non-ambulatory. I would think that other personal commitments of a “normal” or commonplace nature are not sufficient justification for transgressing Church law.

Furthermore, from a more spiritual standpoint, one must consider whether one’s priorities are rightly ordered when one willingly chooses something over the very person of Christ himself, his very Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity.

See also this good reference article by Fr. William Saunders from the Arlington Catholic Herald.

If you want to concatenate multiple row results into one string, use this:

SELECT array_to_string(
  array(
    SELECT text_column
    FROM some_table
    WHERE foo = 'bar'
  ),
  ', '
);

To concatenate multiple columns for each row, use the normal text concatenation operator, ||.

SELECT array_to_string(
  array(
    SELECT text_column || '; ' || another_column
    FROM some_table
    WHERE id = 123
  ),
  ', '
);

Example

db=> SELECT * FROM users;

 firstname | lastname
-----------+----------
 John      | Doe
 Jane      | Doe
 Joe       | Bloe
(3 rows)

db=> SELECT array_to_string(
  array(
    SELECT lastname || ', ' || firstname
    FROM users
  ),
  '; '
);

         array_to_string
---------------------------------
 Doe, John; Doe, Jane; Bloe, Joe

The proof of love is to suffer for the one you love.

Padre Pio

Since then [Jesus] Himself declared and said of the Bread, “This is My Body”, who shall dare to doubt any longer [that it is His Body]? And since He has Himself affirmed and said, “This is My Blood”, who shall ever hesitate, saying, that it is not His blood?

St. Cyril of Jerusalem, from Catechetical Lecture 22 written in the 4th century A.D.

See also 1 Cor 11:23-25, Matt 26:26-28, Mark 14:22-24, Luke 22:19-20.

Robert Southwell

(crossposted from simplyexplained.com)

Does the Catholic religion of today allow the use of birth control pills, or any other means of birth prevention? (Other than the rhythm method).

The Catechism of the Catholic Church deals with this topic under the section which interprets the sixth commandment (“You shall not commit adultery.”). It quotes from Pope Paul VI’s encyclical Humanae Vitae, which states that “each and every marriage act must remain open to the transmission of life”. Paul VI emphasizes that this has been constant doctrine.

The CCC further quotes from HV, stating that “every action which, either in anticipation of the conjugal act, or in its accomplishment, or in the development of its natural consequences, propose, whether as an end or as a means, to render procreation impossible is intrinsically evil” (CCC 2370).

As such, ALL physical contraceptive devices, substances and pharmaceuticals are prohibited from use by Catholics, employment of which constitutes serious sin.

The CCC (again drawing from HV) also describes a valid means of spacing births: “Periodic continence, that is, the methods of birth regulation based on self-observation and the use of infertile periods, is in conformity with the objective criteria of morality.” (CCC 2370)

A few secondary points regarding the question deserve some attention:

One system or method considered valid by the Catholic Church is “Natural Family Planning”, or NFP (see Wikipedia and the web). Some consider the rhythm method to fall under the umbrella of NFP, and most clarify that the terms RM and NFP do not refer to precisely the same thing, and ought not be used interchangeably.

There is no contrasting “Catholic religion of today”. The Catholic Church today is the selfsame Catholic Church of a century ago, of a millennium ago, of 2 millenia ago. It was, and is still, the singular and sole church founded by Jesus Christ himself.