Friday June 5, 2026

Good News Reflection for:

Friday of the 9th Week in Ordinary Time
Memorial of Saint Boniface, Bishop and Martyr
June 5, 2026

Today’s Prayer:

Thank You, Lord, for the trials I must go through on the road that leads me to You. Give me the strength I need so I will not quit but remain faithful to the end. Amen.

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Today’s Readings:

2 Timothy 3:10-17
Psalm 119:157, 160-161, 165-166, 168
Mark 12:35-37
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/060526.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/daily-mass-reading-podcast-june-5-2026

The sin of being too nice

Today’s first reading warns that all who live religiously in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. Is anyone damaging your reputation, rejecting you, or abandoning you because you’re standing up for biblical truth and Christian virtue? If you have not yet been persecuted, you’ve not followed Christ very far.

Following Jesus religiously means going all the way to the cross. Along the way we meet disbelieving Pharisees and others who don’t want to hear the truth.

It is possible to have an easy life as a Christian. We can successfully work hard at being so nice that we’re liked by everyone all the time. We can avoid controversial issues. We can love others by only affirming them, never challenging them to new growth or a better understanding of healthy, holy living. We can go so far as to pray that God will lead the sinners we know to repentance, hoping that he’ll do all the work. But none of this is true Christian living.

Scripture calls this type of Christian a “charlatan”. It’s a fake Christianity. It’s certainly not a description of Jesus! Such people are deceived — they deceive themselves into thinking that they are okay simply because Jesus loves them and that he will take them to heaven when their time of being nice on earth is finished; for them, that’s all that matters.

The problem with this is that it’s very selfish. It shows a lack of concern for the condition of the souls of others. It’s self-protective, guarding the comfort of an easy life, keeping it non-confrontational, avoiding persecution, sustaining the illusion that there is no real need to do otherwise — very likely at the cost of justice, love, and even the salvation of others.

If being Christian means being only nice, why do we need the Bible? St. Paul says, “All scripture is inspired by God for teaching, refutation and correction, and for training in righteousness.” Oh-oh! It’s not nice to refute lies and misconceptions. Nor is it easy to successfully give correction.

Sometimes, we are called to quietly smile and show love by our niceness; when we’re with someone who is not ready to hear the truth, we can do more harm than good by forcing it upon them. At other times, we are called to show our love by speaking up about the truth, even if it stirs up trouble.

How do we know when to be quiet and when to speak up? Only by listening to the Holy Spirit and paying attention to the nudges and inspirations that come from the Lord.

What’s the value of being a Christian if we don’t care enough about others to tell them the difficult truths that will bring them closer to Christ? What’s the value of following Christ if we don’t stand up for the truth and go all the way to the cross with him for the sake of their eternal happiness?

Reflect further on this issue with our WordByte: “Are you being persecuted?” @ https://wordbytes.org/passion-spirituality/persecuted/

© by Terry A. Modica, Good News Ministries

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