Teaching & Preaching: Deacon Matt's homilies & podcasts

Because hope is a virtue that looks forward, you could say it is like a pilgrimage; a journey toward something greater. And today we celebrate the very first Christian pilgrimage — the journey of the magi to pay homage to the newborn King of the Jews.

Homily for the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, January 5, 2025.

In the gospel for the 1st Sunday of Advent, Jesus does not say we should pray to escape tribulations, but rather we should pray for the strength to escape tribulations. That’s because the way we escape them is the same way that Christ escaped death on the cross — by passing through it.

But what kind of strength are we talking about? St. Paul tells us in the second reading today that we must strengthen our hearts with love, so that we might be found blameless at the coming of the Lord.

We must be strong in love, because the kingdom of God is a kingdom of love. There is no room for hatred or malice or selfishness in that kingdom...

Homily preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2024.

Homily for the 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, November 3, 2024.

Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, October 6, 2024, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.

...there is more going on in our readings today than just an exposition on the good of family life. There is a deeper spiritual reality here. The human family on earth is important because it is a sign of an even greater family in heaven; a family God wants us to be members of.

Homily for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on September 1, 2024, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.

Homily for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B) preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on August 4, 2024.

We all begin to seek Jesus for many reasons. We may come to him hungry for food, for consolation, for community or companionship. These are not bad reasons. Like the people who seek Jesus in today’s gospel, our problem is usually not that we ask too much from God, but too little. Whatever it is we want God to do for us, God always wants to do more. And often we are not prepared for what God wants to do for us. So it seems too hard. Or it seems impossible. But we must remember that all things are possible for God (Mt 19:26). 

Homily for the 17th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year B), preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.

Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B) - this is the opening homily for a parish Eucharistic mission.

To request Deacon Matt to speak at your parish, please visit https://matthewnewsome.com/

Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi), preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, June 2, 2024, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church.

Two of my college students received the sacrament of Confirmation on the 6th Sunday of Easter. This homily was preached at that Mass and focuses on the importance of sacraments of initiation and the role of sacramental preparation and catechesis.