
A first-time attendee to a Mass at Holy Family Church, 3938 Poplar Level Road, might be surprised to see a young face proclaiming the Sunday Mass readings with the skill of a seasoned lector.
The parish community is used to seeing the bright-eyed, clear-spoken Xavier Mudd — who’s attended the parish since birth — at the lectern. He’s on the regular lector rotation schedule.
The Catholic Church holds the role of a lector to be of great importance, said Barry Mudd, the associate director of the Office of Worship (and no relation to Xavier).
“They are the storyteller of the community,” he explained. “In the Word proclaimed, Christ is speaking to us. The lector is a vessel.”
At age 15, Xavier already fulfills that role, said Deacon Pat Wright, who serves at Holy Family Church.
“He’s not just reading, he is proclaiming,” Deacon Wright said in a recent interview. “He comes prepared. He takes it very seriously.”
“They are the storyteller of the community. In the Word proclaimed, Christ is speaking to us. The lector is a vessel”
— Barry Mudd, associate director of the Office of Worship
But lectoring also requires courage, noted Deacon Wright.
“A lot of kids wouldn’t,” he said, but Xavier “had courage and he had a call.”
Xavier’s interest in lectoring started when he was around six or seven years old, he said in a recent interview.
“I remember sitting there and watching a younger lector — probably 20 years old — and I was like, ‘I want to do that one day,’ ” said Xavier, a sophomore at St. Xavier High School.
When he started several years ago, Xavier said, he remembered being nervous, but he realized that “it was a lot easier than I expected.” He’s confident in the role now, and has a routine for reviewing the readings, he said.
That’s critical to being a good lector, noted Mudd.
“This is about passing on the Word of God,” which requires “being able to prepare that text, study that text, pray that text,” he said.
Mudd suggests that all Catholics review the Mass readings prior to the liturgy. “At family dinners, read the readings for the upcoming Sunday,” he suggested.

But lectors especially should pray with the text before preparing to proclaim it, he said.
“Sit down and pray that text silently before you prepare to proclaim it out loud,” suggested Mudd. He advises lectors to pray with the text for 10 minutes a day during the week before their assignment. “Read what comes before and after. Look at it in light of the other readings. Pray with it constantly.
“If there are difficult words, learn to pronounce them,” he advised.
He also suggests that lectors become involved in Scripture studies and regularly participate in daily Mass, when possible. The archdiocese also offers workshops for lectors, he added.
Mudd noted that lectoring — along with other liturgical and social ministries — provides a good way for parishes to engage high school youth in the Church.
“Confirmation is a sacrament of commitment,” he said.
Xavier said he’s found many benefits that grew out of his role as a lector.
“It’s a really easy way to get into the community of the church,” he said.
Newer parishioners have started conversations with him, he said, and it’s opened doors for him to try out other roles in the church — such as serving as a greeter, usher and sacristan.
It’s also helped him outside of the church walls, too.
“It’s helped me to be a more outgoing person. It’s easier to not be shy,” he said. He added that the experience has even helped him with giving presentations at school.
“It’s so special to get to proclaim the word of God,” Xavier added.

I was privileged to attend Mass once when Xavier lectured. That was about 4 years ago. I was astonished at his proclamation, his level of maturity and spiritual presence, and his obvious reverence for God’s Word. It’s hard to find those qualities in an adult, let alone a young person of his age. The Readings touched me in a way that I had never been touched before, and I found myself wishing he could go on and on. Such a blessing to his parish community!