Students at a local college where I am an adjunct sponsor at TLM at a local parish. At their invitation, I joined the choir. I did it to support them, because I think college should be filled with as many "mountain top" experiences as possible. And of course I am sure all here will join in praying that they are permitted to keep doing it in the new school year.

They did the full Tract for Palm Sunday, the first time I sang with them, and when I expressed surprise, one young man blurted out "Go big or go home." I commented it wasn't Broadway but in the event it was beautiful.

It was a large mixed group and someone forgot to get the key so we just stood around the organ and sat in the pews. One of the principal organizers strongly prefers singing from the chancel if it is only men. The other young gentlemen have nearly as strong a preference for the anonymity of the (filthiest) loft (I have ever seen). This is not a parish event, and the parish itself has seen better days. However, we could find a hymnal on Easter when the priest decided he’d like a hymn at the last minute.

Of course, the one young man had to finally prevail at Pentecost. Fraught, as we shall see.

I had brought along my simplest surplice, but of course, given undergraduate exuberance, the one young gentlemen had a supply of the coolest ones imaginable, including one I would like to get.

I stress "younger' because there was the matter of kneeling. For the Eucharistic Prayer, I might have been able to fudge it on grounds of physical disability, but when the moment came during the Offertory for Pentecost, I realized there was no way to make it look good, so I assayed kneeling upright on the marble and singing.

Miraculously, I could do it. And so then I felt compelled to do it for the Eucharistic Prayer. Getting back up required turning around and leaning heavily on my chair, making me grateful that, except for the priest and youthful servers and a few of the faithful, no one could see my lower portions because of the altar and a helpfully-placed organ.

I was able to walk around afterwards so I vowed to lose more weight than I already have and make it easier. The younger gentlemen seemed grateful for my participation, in part because I have a bottom-scraping tessitura and so fill out the sound nicely.

Two days later, I find I am reminded of St. Paul's assertion that << “All things are lawful for me,” but not all things are helpful. >>

I am not a particularly knowledgeable Bible expositor, but I have concluded that when he added, 'I will not be enslaved by anything," I am pretty sure he wasn't thinking of age. I have forty years on the other choir members.

Which is a long way of saying that I have seen little kneeler strips that are probably less likely to slip away than a pillow. Can anyone recommend a place to buy one?

And I will add that because of that feeling that people that age can bring to something and fine abilities by all involved from the priest on down, it was a wonderful experience.

Thanks.

Kenneth