As an elderly woman in my church recently began her reading, she barely got the first few words out when a severe coughing spell got the best of her. The more she tried to clear her throat, the worse it got, but the presider with his nods pleasantly encouraged her to keep going.
 
At the end, when she finally concluded with "The Word of the Lord," the whole assembly responded with a loud and enthusiastic "Thanks be to God." They were rooting for her all the way to the finish line, because that's what a great parish community does.
 
And to top it off, the presider in his homily made it a point to mention her "beautiful second reading," which it definitely was, not because of her flawless delivery, but because of her heart and determination behind it.
 
With few exceptions, our fellow parishioners are always on our side. They come to Mass to hear the word of God; not to judge how great we look or perform. Though there may be an occasional friend, relative or Toastmasters Club fanatic judging us by our speaking skills, it's their loss for paying more attention to the messenger than the message. 
 
So if you're ever in the same situation as our elderly lady friend was, "just keep going" as our presider told her that morning, and you just may get a loud "Thanks be to God" from your listeners as well.