Father Chris Looby

  The Sacred Heart statue that sits on the mantle above the fireplace in the conference room at St. Patrick's Church in Watertown, NY Jesus seems to be a little harsh today, doesn’t He? “If your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out! If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off! If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off, too!” Ugh! Is He serious about this? Of course not. If He meant for us to take this literally, we would all be a funny-looking bunch, wouldn’t we? This church would look like an emergency room filled with folks missing eyes, feet, or hands! But we get the point, don’t we? Jesus is speaking about the consequences of sin for the whole community. One person might sin, but the entire community suffers. He’s calling us to take charge of our lives and make whatever changes are necessary to live His life. Sometimes, making these changes can feel like cutting off a part of ourselves when we try to: Break a harmful habit we’ve had for a long time. Simplify our lives so we can ...

  Have you ever heard the term “G.O.A.T.”? It stands for “Greatest of All Time.”  People usually use it to describe athletes—Tom Brady in football, Serena Williams in tennis, or Michael Jordan in basketball.  But today, we’re not here to talk about football or tennis or basketball. Instead, I want us to think about this: What does it mean to be the greatest of all time in God’s eyes?  In the Kingdom of God, who is the G.O.A.T.?  Spoiler alert: it’s not who you might expect! In today’s Gospel, we find the disciples having their own debate about who among them was the greatest. It’s almost like they were caught up in their own version of the G.O.A.T. conversation, asking: “Who is the most important? Who has the most status? Who will have the most influence in the Kingdom of God?” They had just heard Jesus predict His suffering and death, yet they were thinking about rank and status! It’s almost like us hearing about some great sacrifice someone made, but then imme...

  Who do you think you are? I’m sure many of you have seen the popular show Who Do You Think You Are? —the show where celebrities trace their family trees and discover incredible stories about their ancestors.  For some, it’s a journey of uncovering hidden connections, while for others, it’s a journey of discovering who they really are. Their roots reveal something deeper about their identity, shaping how they see themselves and their lives today. Take Conan O’Brien, for example. On the show, he explored his Irish heritage and uncovered stories of his ancestors living through famine and extreme hardship.  These stories didn’t just change how he viewed his ancestors—they changed how he viewed himself. He realized that the same strength and perseverance that carried his family through those difficult times are a part of him today. The premise of the show centers around a question that all of us, at one point or another, have probably asked ourselves:  Who am I? Where d...

  Guns as Extensions of Human Action: A Philosophical Case for Gun Control in Light of the Georgia Mass Shooting In the wake of the recent mass shooting in Georgia, the familiar debate over gun control has resurfaced, with many Second Amendment advocates repeating the well-worn phrase: "Guns don’t kill people—people kill people." This argument attempts to frame firearms as neutral objects, emphasizing human responsibility rather than the tools used in violent acts. Yet, this perspective fails to address a critical philosophical truth: guns, especially those designed for maximum lethality, are not neutral. They are extensions of human intention, amplifying a person’s ability to cause harm. This article will argue that firearms, particularly assault weapons, are indeed responsible for killing people because they act as extensions of the individual, much like an arm or a hand. To support this argument, we will draw from the philosophy of Thomas Aquinas and modern theories of the...

  Yogi Berra, the legendary baseball player, was not only known for his skills on the field but also for his quirky and memorable sayings, known as 'Yogi-isms.'  They often made us chuckle, but if you thought about them long enough, they revealed a kind of down-to-earth wisdom. Take, for example, this classic: ‘When you come to a fork in the road, take it.’  It sounds confusing at first, but it’s a humorous way of reminding us that sometimes, in life, we just need to make a decision and move forward, even when the path ahead isn’t entirely clear. Or how about, ‘It’s like déjà vu all over again.’  We’ve all experienced that funny sensation when something seems so familiar, like we’ve been there before. It’s Yogi’s way of capturing that universal experience in a way that makes us smile. But perhaps the most famous of all was something he said about a restaurant that had become so popular that getting in was nearly impossible:   ‘Nobody goes there anymore. It’...

  My father and mother, Philip and Barbara Looby.  My Dad coined a phrase: "You're wearing the beads and carrying the jacket!" Growing up, my father had a saying that he’d say to me whenever he felt like I wasn’t following through with my commitments to clubs or activities like Boy Scouts, band, or chorus.  He’d look at me and say, “Chris, you’re wearing the beads and carrying the jacket!”  At first, I didn’t quite get it, but over time I realized what he meant. I was showing up—I had all the outward signs of being involved—but I wasn’t actually doing the work. I wasn’t fully committed to living out what it meant to be part of those groups. I think that saying can apply to our lives as Christians too. We might wear the cross, come to Mass, and say our prayers, but are we really living out our faith in action?  Or are we just “wearing the beads and carrying the jacket” without fully committing ourselves to the work of the Gospel? In today’s readings, we hear a cl...

  A man was praying, and he said, 'Lord, why do you have to make everything so complicated?' Suddenly, he heard a voice from heaven reply, 'If it were easy, you wouldn't need me!' And isn’t that the truth? Sometimes we wish everything in life and faith were simple. But as we see in today’s readings, not everything is easy to accept or understand. And maybe that’s exactly the point: faith, especially when it's challenging, invites us to rely on God even more. In today’s readings, we encounter some very challenging words—words that, even 2,000 years after they were written, still cause discomfort.  St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, speaks about subordination, specifically saying, “Wives should be subordinate to their husbands.”  And then, in the Gospel, many of Jesus’ own disciples, after hearing His teaching, declare, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” These two passages highlight a theme we can all relate to—dealing with teachings that challenge u...