Teaching & Preaching: Deacon Matt's homilies & podcasts

Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (Year A) preached by Deacon Matt Newsome on Dec. 4, 2022, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC. 

Advent is all about preparing for the coming of Christ; both his first coming in history in Bethlehem at Christmas, but more importantly his second coming at the end of history in glory. The readings for the Second Sunday of Advent begin with an image of the wolf lying down with the lamb and end with an image of unquenchable fire. These very different images seem at odds with one another; one tells of peace, the other of destruction. But they each in their own way tell us what that second and final coming will be like.

A Thanksgiving Day homily from Deacon Matt. Preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic parish on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022 (the memorial of Sts. Andrew Dung-Lac and companions).

In his first letter to the Thessalonians, St. Paul teaches that it is the will of God that we give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thess 5:18). All circumstances. It’s easy for us to feel thankful when things are going well for us, but being thankful in difficult times is… well, difficult. Yet this is precisely what we are called to do.

Homily for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C) preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Nov. 6, 2022.

The ancient Gnostics considered the soul to be the real person and the body just a shell. Salvation for them meant liberation from the body. Many in our culture — including professing Christians — seem to have adopted this same attitude. That’s why it’s important for us to not forget the final words of our Creed. “I believe in the resurrection of the body and the life of the world to come.”

How do we go above and beyond in our faith? Doing good is a moral obligation, but enduring evils is also something Christians are called upon to do with charity and patience, trusting in the Providence of God. 

Homily preached at by Deacon Matt Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, October 2, 2022.

When Jesus says, “Which of you wishing to construct a tower does not first sit down and calculate the cost?” he’s not really talking about building a tower. He’s illustrating a point about Christian discipleship. Being Christ’s disciple is a major undertaking. It’s not just coming to church on Sunday. It’s about taking up your cross and following Christ every single day of your life; in all your actions, all your decisions, all your relationships. Have we thought about what discipleship will cost us?

Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.

When asked how many would be saved, Jesus doesn't offer a number but says that we should "strive to enter through the narrow gate." Having a narrow focus helps us achieve our goals in life in general, but especially in the spiritual life.

Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome, campus minister at Western Carolina University, on Sunday, Aug. 22, 2022, at the first campus Mass of the new academic year.

“Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and the evidence of things not seen" (Heb 11:1). But is it reasonable to believe in things not seen? Is faith just superstition? Deacon Matt talks about the reasonableness of the Catholic faith in this homily preached at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, August 7, 2022.

Homily preached on July 3, 2022, the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C) at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church.

Jesus sends his disciples out "like lambs among wolves" to proclaim the kingdom of God. Today, proclaiming God's kingdom means upholding the dignity of all human life, especially the most vulnerable.

As important as the Holy Spirit is to our lives as Christians, it's safe to say that the Third Person of the Trinity remains something of an enigma to most of us. In this homily, Deacon Matt talks about why that is and helps us to relate to the Holy Spirit by exploring the Spirit's role in the life of the Trinity and in the life of the Church.

Preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on June 5, 2022.

It’s very easy, after encountering Christ, to return to our usual routine and live our lives as if nothing has changed. Like Peter and the other Apostles, we sometimes need a reminder of our calling, or our mission. What is the mission of a Christian? Do we even know?

Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the 3rd Sunday of Easter, May 1, 2022, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.