Teaching & Preaching: Deacon Matt's homilies & podcasts: Recent Episodes
Deacon Matthew Newsome
Deacon Matthew Newsome is a deacon of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte and campus minister at Western Carolina University.
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.
Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks,
and distributed them to those who were reclining,
and also as much of the fish as they wanted.
When they had had their fill, he said to his disciples,
"Gather the fragments left over,
so that nothing will be wasted."
So they collected them,
and filled twelve wicker baskets with fragments
from the five barley loaves
that had been more than they could eat.(Jn 6:11-13)
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.
In this short gospel passage, Jesus uses the word “command” or “commandment” five times and the word “love” nine times. For most of us, these two things don’t go together. We have very different reactions when we hear those words.
When someone starts talking about “commands” we tense up. We don’t like being told what to do. We think of commands as hard, rigid things that constrict our freedom, so we resist them.
When we hear the word “love” we have the opposite reaction. The idea of love makes us feel warm and fuzzy. It is a comforting thought. Love is not rigid, like a command. It’s soft, like a hug. We love hearing about love.
So these two things, love and commands, are not usually associated in our minds, yet Jesus seems to think they have quite a bit to do with one another. . .
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
We should honestly ask ourselves, what is the principal thing that is giving direction to my life? Whatever that is, that is your shepherd. That is your god. And if it is anything other than God our Creator, who has revealed himself to us in Christ Jesus the Good Shepherd, you have to wonder where is that false shepherd leading you? And is that really where you want to go?
Homily preached on the 4th Sunday of Easter, April 21, 2024, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
God cannot spare us from death without contradicting himself. Nor can he allow death to reign without also contradicting himself. It seems like a paradox. What is God to do?
Easter homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, March 31, 2024.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Feb. 25, 2024.
To truly understand the Mass, to understand everything that God does for us in Christ, it is so important for us to know the story of salvation history, because this is our story. It’s a story told for us and about us — about God’s eternal love for us. As St. Jerome said, “Ignorance of the scriptures is ignorance of Christ.” This is why the Church continues to offer us an Old Testament reading in addition to the gospel at Mass, to underscore the connection between the two. But just listening to the readings passively once a week is not sufficient. We need to study the text, to make the story our own, for it truly is the story of God’s undying love for us, a story written in history. It is the greatest, most beautiful, and the truest story ever told.
Life is a drudgery? Days without hope? “I shall not see happiness again?” What on earth, we might wonder, is this text doing in the Bible? The Bible, as we are told, is the word of God. The Church encourages us to look to it for inspiration. We open its pages when we feel hopeless, hoping to find hope! We turn to the scripture when we are unhappy for some sense of assurance and comfort. We don’t expect to find such lamentations as we do in the Book of Job.
Proclamation of the date of Easter and the moveable feasts and homily for Epiphany, 2024.
Today is the 4th Sunday of Advent. It is also Christmas Eve. Because this year Advent is as short as it can be, with Christmas falling on a Monday, we don’t really get a “fourth week of Advent.” We only get a 4th Sunday, and even then not the whole Sunday, with our Christmas celebrations beginning with the 4:30 Vigil Mass. Once every seven years we get Christmas and Advent in one Sunday like this.
The altar is decorated with poinsettias, in anticipation of that celebration. The crib has been laid out, in anticipation of the Christ-child. This can all make it feel like Christmas is already here, but it isn’t. We are still in purple. The crib is empty. It is still Advent for a few hours more.
Homily for the 1st Sunday of Advent (Year B), preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
For everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven. Today begins the season of Advent; the beginning of a new liturgical year. So what is the reason for this season?
Advent reminds us that we have something to look forward to. Isn’t it a wonderful thing to have something to look forward to? Having something to look forward to has a marvelous tempering effect on us, tempering both our joys and our sorrows. What do I mean by that?
We’re sometimes tempted to think of the sin of the Pharisees as being too rigorous when it comes to religious practice. But Jesus never condemned the Pharisees for their religious observances. Rather, he condemned them for hypocrisy. The definition of hypocrisy is to hold others to standards that you don’t observe yourself. It is one of the sins that makes us the most angry when we see it in others, and it can be one of the most difficult to recognize in ourselves.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on November 5, 2023.
October is a month dedicated in a special way to the Rosary. Apart from the Holy Mass itself, the rosary is without a doubt the most iconic form of Catholic prayer. In films, if a director wants to show that a character is Catholic, all they have to do is place a rosary in their hands. In a round-about way, I can attribute my own conversion to the rosary.
What is worship? What kind of worship does God ask of us? And how do we offer God worship in a way pleasing to him?
Ancient cultures across the globe worshipped their gods by means of offering sacrifice, and God instructed the people of Israel in how to offer sacrifices to Him. But all these ancient sacrifices were but shadows or signs pointing toward the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. How do we, as Christians, participate in that one perfect sacrifice?
Readings:
- Jer 20:7-9
- Ps 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
- Rom 12:1-2
- Mt 16:21-27
Homily for the 17th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year A) preached by Deacon Matt Newsome on July 30, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
How many of us pay attention to the Collect Prayer during Mass? In case today’s Collect went by you without notice, here it is again:
- O God, protector of those who hope in you, without whom nothing has firm foundation, nothing is holy, bestow in abundance your mercy upon us and grant that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may use the good things that pass in such a way as to hold fast even now to those that ever endure. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
This prayer says some very important things about who God is and what it is we ask of Him.
Every Christian should be familiar with the two great commandments. “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” (Dt 6:5) and, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Lv 19:18). Jesus says that, “The whole law and prophets depend on these two commandments.” (cf. Mt 22:36-40).
In today’s gospel passage, Jesus is telling us the ramifications of these commandments. It is easy enough to say that we love God more than anything else, but what does this mean in practice? Jesus is clear about the stakes. He says, “Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me” (Mt 10:37a). This statement is meant to shock us a little bit.
Homily preached by Deacon Matt Newsome on Sunday, July 2, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, Sunday, June 4, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Many struggle to understand why the doctrine of the Trinity is relevant. Sure, it might be of interest to theologians, but what does it have to do, practically, with our lives? I’ll give you three reasons why the doctrine of the Trinity is important.
One: The whole purpose of the Christian religion is union with God, and that requires an understanding of Who and What God is.
Two: We are called to be holy, and to be holy is to be like God, which again requires an understanding of Who and What God is.
Three: We are made in the image and likeness of God, so if we desire to know ourselves, we need to have an understanding of Who and What God is.
For these three reasons we should be very interested in the fact that God has revealed himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, three Persons in one God. But how are we to understand it?
Homily preached by Deacon Matt Newsome at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation at the Catholic Student Center at Western Carolina University on Sunday, May 7, 2023, for the final Mass of the semester.
"Life is full of beginnings and endings. Amidst all this change, what can we hold on to? What can be our sure foundation, our rock, our refuge and our stronghold? What can we really have faith in that we know will never change and never fail us?"
Homily for the 5th Sunday of Easter (Year A) preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on May 7, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church.
"...this is not a funeral Mass. This is the Mass for the Fifth Sunday of Easter. And this is not a eulogy. This is a homily. And it is my Christian duty in this moment to proclaim to you the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Joe would be disappointed in me if I didn’t. I was in the middle of writing my homily when we found out Joe had passed, so you’ll forgive me if I wasn’t able to finish it. But I will tell you what I was going to say."
“Who can climb the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? (Ps 24:3). Who, indeed? Who can climb this mountain with Jesus? Who can approach the Temple and enter the Holy of Holies that is Calvary? Who can bear his suffering? Or who can bear his glory, for that matter? Psalm 24 gives us the answer: “The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things, who has not sworn to deceive his neighbor” (Ps 24:4).
Homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent (Year A) preached on Sunday, March 5, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church by Deacon Matthew Newsome.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
"When you commit murder, or steal from someone, tell a lie, or commit adultery, these things are not sins because they are forbidden by the Church. They are forbidden because they are sins. The law is there to help us steer clear of them, but they are wrong with or without the law. They are wrong because they violate the goodness of human nature and our human dignity. This is called natural law morality and it’s the moral system favored by the Church because it is based on how God made us as human beings."
When we think about all the things that make Mary great, what is it that merits her the great honor of being the Mother of the Lord? Is it that she was immaculately conceived? No. Is it that she was assumed into heaven? No. Is it because she was a virgin, or that she was descended from the line of David? No. None of these things about Mary caused her to be the Mother of God? So what did? It was her “yes.” It was the fact that Mary said to the angel, “let it be done to me according to your word,” and she meant it with all of her being.
Homily preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Jan. 1, 2023.
Homily preached by Deacon Matt Newsome on Dec. 8, 2022, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church.
I aim to answer three questions in this homily. 1) What is the doctrine of the Immaculate Conception? 2) Where does it come from? And 3) What does it matter to us?
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.
Homily preached by Deacon Matt Newsome on Easter Sunday at St. Mary Mother of God parish in Sylva, NC.
"When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed" (Jn 2:6-8).
Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent (Year C readings) preached at the Catholic Campus Ministry chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation at Western Carolina University on Sunday, April 3, by Deacon Matt Newsome.
"Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her" (Jn 8:7)
Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent, using the readings from Year A for the scrutinies, preached on Sunday, April 3, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
"I am the resurrection and the life; whoever believes in me, even if he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die" (Jn 11:25-26).
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on the First Sunday of Lent, March 6, 2022.
Homily for the 5th Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year C), preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC on February 6, 2022.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on December 5, 2021, for the 2nd Sunday of Advent (C).
Homily preached on November 7, 2021, by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, for the 32nd Sunday of Ordinary Time (Year B).
"Amen, I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the other contributors to the treasury. For they have all contributed from their surplus wealth, but she, from her poverty, has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood." Mk 12:43-44
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time (B), October 10, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on September 5, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
How does the "Messianic Secret" correspond with the Church's evangelical mission?
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Aug. 1, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst” (Jn 6:35).
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, July 4, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily for the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Jesus Christ (Corpus Christi), preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on June 6, 2021.
Preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on May 16, 2021.
Homily for the 6th Sunday of Easter preached on the campus of Western Carolina University by Deacon Matthew Newsome, campus minister, at the final campus Mass of the Spring 2021 semester.
Homily for Easter Sunday preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church, Sylva, NC, April 4, 2021.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the 3rd Sunday of Lent (Year A readings for RCIA), March 7, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the 3rd Sunday of Lent, March 7, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church, Feb. 7, 2021.
Homily preached on the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, Sunday, Jan. 3, 2021, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, by Deacon Matthew Newsome, on the "three mysteries" of the Epiphany.
Homily for the Second Sunday of Advent (B), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Dec. 6, 2020.
Homily for the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A, preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Nov. 15, 2020.
God has made you a caretaker of his vineyard. So what do you know about growing grapes?
Deacon Matt offers six practical and essential elements of Christian discipleship in this homily preached on Sunday, Oct 4, 2020, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church (27th Sunday of Ordinary Time, cycle A).
Homily for the 23rd Sunday of Ordinary Time (A), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church, September 6, 2020.
How the liturgy and sacraments of the Church help us to understand the meaning and purpose of our life. Preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020, the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A).
Homily for the 14th Sunday of Ordinary Time (A), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on July 5, 2020.
“Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light" (Mt 11:28-30).
Homily by Deacon Matthew Newsome on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity (A), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC on June 7, 2020.
"God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
so that everyone who believes in him might not perish
but might have eternal life.
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world,
but that the world might be saved through him.
Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,
but whoever does not believe has already been condemned,
because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God" (Jn 3:16-18)
Preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome to a group of catechumens, candidates and their sponsors and godparents the afternoon before the Vigil of Pentecost when they would receive the sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and the Holy Eucharist as fully initiated members of the Catholic Church.
Homily for the 4th Sunday of Easter, preached at an outdoor Mass at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on May 3, 2020, with the congregation participating from their vehicles in the parking lot due to coronavirus restrictions on public gatherings.
Homily for Divine Mercy Sunday (2nd Sunday of Easter) preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on April 19, 2020.
The scriptural Stations of the Cross adapted from those prayed by Pope St. John Paul II on Good Friday, 1991.
A homily for the 2nd Sunday of Lent (A) preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on March 8, 2020.
“Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’ And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone” (Mt 17:1–8).
A homily for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord, preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, February 2, 2020.
A homily for the Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord, preached on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2020, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, Dec. 1, 2019, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
“You know the time; it is the hour now for you to awake from sleep. For our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed; the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light” (Rom 13:11-12).
Homily preached by Deacon Matthew Newsome on Sunday, November 10, 2019, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Jesus said to them,
"The children of this age marry and remarry;
but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age
and to the resurrection of the dead
neither marry nor are given in marriage.
They can no longer die,
for they are like angels;
and they are the children of God
because they are the ones who will rise.
That the dead will rise
even Moses made known in the passage about the bush,
when he called out 'Lord, '
the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
and he is not God of the dead, but of the living,
for to him all are alive."
(Lk 20:34-38)
A homily for the Solemnity of All Saints preached at the WCU Catholic Campus Ministry chapel on November 1, 2019.
"See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure" (1 Jn 3:1-3).
A homily for the 27th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C), preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
"I remind you, to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice
but rather of power and love and self-control. So do not be ashamed of your testimony to our Lord, nor of me, a prisoner for his sake; but bear your share of hardship for the gospel with the strength that comes from God" (1 Tim 1:6-8).
A homily for the 22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on September 1, 2019.
"When you are invited by someone to a wedding banquet,
do not recline at table in the place of honor.
A more distinguished guest than you may have been invited by him,
and the host who invited both of you may approach you and say,
'Give your place to this man,'
and then you would proceed with embarrassment
to take the lowest place.
Rather, when you are invited,
go and take the lowest place
so that when the host comes to you he may say,
'My friend, move up to a higher position.'
Then you will enjoy the esteem of your companions at the table.
For every one who exalts himself will be humbled,
but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." (Lk 14:8-11).
A homily for the 18th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on August 4, 2019.
In this final episode of our "Summer School" podcast series, we look at the modern heresies of Deism and Modernism, the threat they pose to religion, and the effects they still have in the Church and in the world today.
This week we take a look at the origin and the core errors of Protestantism and the Catholic Church's response at the Council of Trent. We talk about Martin Luther, Sole Fide, Sola Scriptura, Indulgences, and the status of Protestants vis a vis the Church today.
Join us in learning about two influential medieval heretics, John Wyclif from England and John Huss from Bohemia. Both these men not only criticized (justifiably) certain abuses of the Church hierarchy, but also denied the validity of the hierarchy and the authority of the Church.
Waldo (Valdes) was a rich merchant in Lyons, France, who gave up his wealth to dedicate himself to a life of radical poverty and preaching the gospel -- but without the approval of the Church. Waldo and his followers would go on to develop many theological errors that would put them at odds with Catholic doctrine. Vestiges of the Waldensian movement still survive today, including in North Carolina!
Spreading the good news of Jesus Christ, which is what it means to evangelize, is a duty that belongs to every one of us. In its document on missionary work, the Second Vatican Council says that “the work of evangelization is a basic duty of the People of God.” A homily preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on July 7, 2019 (14th Sunday of Ordinary Time).
The Cathars were a medieval heretical group that is often painted in a sympathetic light in revisionist histories as an "underdog" religious reform movement persecuted for their beliefs by the Catholic Church. But is there more to the story? Find out in this week's episode!
A homily preached on the Solemnity of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, June 28, 2019, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
“Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, by its very nature, is a worship of the love with which God, through Jesus loved us, and at the same time, an exercise of our love by which we are related to God and to other men.” - Pope Pius XII
This week we look at the Iconoclast heresy which rocked the Eastern Church during the eighth and ninth centuries and contributed in part to the growing rift between the Eastern and Western halves of Christendom.
While the West was confronting Pelagianism, both Nestorianism & Monophysitisim rocked the eastern Church during the 5th century. Nestorianism taught that there were two persons in Christ, one human and one divine, while Monophysitism taught that Christ only had one divine nature. In confronting these heresies, the Church definitively formulated the doctrine of the hypostatic union, that Christ is one Divine Person with two natures, human and divine.
Pelagius was a British monk who taught that salvation was possible through upright moral living apart from God's grace. He denied the reality of original sin and the necessity of grace for salvation. His chief opponent was St. Augustine of Hippo, whose writings against Pelagius helped to develop Catholic teachings about original sin, grace and baptism.
This week we take a look at the first major Christological heresy, Arianism. Arius claimed that Christ was a creature made by God. He was the greatest of all God's creation, but he was a creature and therefore not himself God. In responding to this heresy at the Council of Nicea in 325 and the Council of Constantinople in 381, the Church would give us the Creed that we still use today to express and affirm our faith in Jesus Christ as being "consubstantial" (of the same being) with the Father.
Preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Sunday, June 2, 2019.
As we begin our tour of historic heresies, we begin with Gnosticism, which actually pre-dates Christianity in origin, but quickly became one of the chief heretical movements that the early Church had to contend with. Learn about this esoteric belief system, how it tried to corrupt Christian orthodoxy, and how some aspects of gnostic thought still exist today.
CORRECTION: Towards the end of this podcast I start to say that St. Irenaeus mentions the Gospel of Judas in his work, Against Heresies, but then correct myself and say it was Eusebius and St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Well, it turns out that my first impulse was right! St. Irenaeus does indeed mention the Gospel of Judas by name. Eusebius and St. Cyril mention the Gospel of Thomas. My apologies for getting these sources mixed up!
CCM "Summer School" is a 10-part podcast series dealing with Church history that will be released weekly over the summer. Each episode will look at a different heresy in the history of the Church, who the major players were, what the heresy taught, and how the Catholic Church responded. By learning about how the Church responds to heresies, we will learn about the development of doctrine and come to a better understanding of the Catholic faith today. Episode 1 is an introduction to the idea of "heresy" and a basic overview of what the rest of the series will be covering.
Preached at the Catholic Campus Ministry Chapel of Our Lady of the Annunciation at Western Carolina University on May 5, 2019. "Jesus said to them, 'Come, have breakfast.' And none of the disciples dared to ask him, 'Who are you?' because they realized it was the Lord" (Jn 21:12).
Preached on May 5, 2019, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC. " Jesus said to him... 'Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.' He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, 'Follow me'" (Jn 21:18-19).
Homily preached on Palm Sunday of the Lord's Passion, April 14, 2019 (the anniversary of my ordination), at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC. " The women who had come from Galilee with him followed behind, and when they had seen the tomb and the way in which his body was laid in it, they returned and prepared spices and perfumed oils. Then they rested on the sabbath according to the commandment" (Lk 23:54-56).
Preached at the Lenten Penance Service at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Parish in Sylva, NC, on March 25, 2019, the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord.
A daily Mass homily preached on Friday, March 22, 2019 at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC. "In you, O Lord, I put my trust, let me never be put to shame; release me from the snare they have hidden for me, for you indeed are my refuge" (Ps 31).
Why do we perform acts of penance? An Ash Wednesday homily preached at the Catholic Campus Ministry chapel at Western Carolina University on March 6, 2019.
A homily for the 8th Sunday of Ordinary Time (C) preached at the 11:00am Mass at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
" Why do you notice the splinter in your brother's eye,
but do not perceive the wooden beam in your own?
How can you say to your brother,
'Brother, let me remove that splinter in your eye,'
when you do not even notice the wooden beam in your own eye?
You hypocrite! Remove the wooden beam from your eye first;
then you will see clearly
to remove the splinter in your brother's eye."
Lk 6:41-42
The definition of love and the path to discovering our true identity. A homily preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church on February 3, 2019.
God Made Manifest - A homily preached on the Epiphany of the Lord, January 6, 2019, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Daily Mass homily for the Feast of St. Andrew the Apostle, preached on Nov. 30, 2018, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
A reflection on the purpose of time in our lives and how the Church marks different seasons of time in the liturgy.
The first greatest commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength. Shouldn't loving God be enough? Why must we also love our neighbor? A homily on the two greatest commandments preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Nov. 4, 2018.
A homily on marriage & right relationship between the sexes, preached at the 11:00am Mass on Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
The final segment of a presentation given to the Education Vicariate of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, Sept 20, 2018. Here I give some practical advice, largely taken from personal experience, on making our homes into "domestic churches."
Presented to the Education Vicariate of the Diocese of Charlotte on Sept 20, 2018. In Part One, I offer my personal reflection on the term "domestic church," then look at the biblical and patristic roots of this term.
Homily preached at the 11:00am Mass at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, dealing with aspects of the moral law.
Homily on the Feast of St. Lawrence, preached at St. Mary, Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on Aug. 10, 2018.
Do not work for food that perishes: On being preoccupied with Jesus. Preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on August 5, 2018.
A Catechesis on Death: Preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on July 1, 2018.
Of Parables and Paternity; a homily for Father's Day preached at St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on June 17, 2018.
Homily given at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic parish in Charlotte, NC, on the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi), reflecting on the nuptial meaning of the Eucharist.
Homily given at the final Campus Mass of the academic year at Western Carolina University's Catholic Student Center & Our Lady of the Annunciation Chapel.
Lectionary Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/050618.cfm
Homily given at the First Holy Communion Mass at St. Mary Mother of God Catholic Church in Sylva, NC.
Lectionary Readings: http://usccb.org/bible/readings/050618.cfm
My first homily as an ordained deacon, preached at St. Mary Mother of God Roman Catholic Church in Sylva, NC, on April 15, 2018.
Lectionary Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/041518.cfm