Q’s from the Pews: What does it mean to be good? May 10, 2026

“If I am a good person, that is all that matters” is a phrase often used to dismiss the need for faith. It sounds positive—until we ask, what is good? Even atheists call Jesus a good moral teacher, yet when the rich man greets Him as “Good Teacher,” Jesus replies, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone” (Mk 10:18).

As Catholic Christians, we strive for holiness while society tells us that goodness is enough. Here we see two “good people”—Jesus and the rich man—judged by their actions. Yet morality and law‑keeping alone do not make either good. But Jesus reminds us that only God is truly good. So how can we be good or holy?

Jesus answers: “Go, sell all you have and follow me” (Mk 10:21). He defines goodness/ holiness through discipleship. St. Thomas Aquinas teaches that something is good when it acts in accord with its nature. Jesus, in the parable of the Rich Man, is telling us that to be good/holy we must be true to our created nature – selling all we have, the idols that hold us back – and submitting our will to the Father in order to become who we were created to be. Please send all questions for future columns to Jim Gregory.