Father Chris Looby

  No, this is not a picture of Lake Champlain with the Green Mountains of Vermont in the background!  This is the Sea of Galilee where Jesus gave the Beatitudes during His Sermon on the Mount! There once was once a man who was offered three blessings. An angel appeared to him and said, “I will grant you whichever of these three blessings you choose: wisdom, beauty, or ten million dollars.” Without hesitation, the man said, “I choose wisdom.” There was a flash of lightning, a clap of thunder, and when it was over, the man looked completely changed. But then he just sat there, staring down at the table in front of him. One of his friends leaned over and whispered, “You have great wisdom now. Say something.” And the man said, “I should have taken the money.” It’s funny because let’s be honest: A lot of people measure “blessing” by what makes life easier, safer, richer, or more comfortable. When things go well, it’s easy to say, “I’m so blessed.” When life is hard, it’s tempting t...

 The 38th stage of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay started in Borgomanero, where the community welcomed the Flame with warmth and participation, transforming the passage of the sacred fire into a moment of shared celebration. (Photo from olympics.com ) Most of us would agree that these feel like dark times. Not dark because there is no good in the world—there is plenty of good—but dark because so much of what we hear, see, and say is filled with division.  People are quick to label, quick to judge, quick to assume the worst about one another. Families are divided. Friendships are strained. Communities feel tense. Even churches are not immune. And into that kind of world, we hear these words from Isaiah today: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.” Isaiah was speaking to people who were living in fear and uncertainty.  They felt forgotten, defeated, overshadowed by powers stronger than they were.  And God says to them: darkness will n...

  When I was growing up, one of the things my mom drilled into us was this: “Don’t point at people. It’s rude.” Pointing usually meant you were calling someone out. Embarrassing them. Blaming them. Making them feel small. So most of us learned early: pointing is impolite. And then we come to today’s Gospel… and John the Baptist does exactly that. He sees Jesus walking toward him—and he points. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” But this isn’t rude pointing. This isn’t finger-wagging pointing. This isn’t blame-casting pointing. This is holy pointing. John isn’t saying, “Look what you did.” He’s saying, “Look who He is.” Most pointing in the world is about blame: You messed up. You’re the problem. You’re at fault. John’s pointing is about blessing: Here is the answer. Here is the healer. Here is the One who takes away sin, not just talks about it. And notice something important: John doesn’t make it about himself. He doesn’t say, “Look at me...