RESTORE
This chapter from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new "Expression" of God’s Love to RESTORE the Truth.
This chapter from the BFG Handbook (Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching) presents the gospel through a new “Expression” of God’s Love to RESTORE people to the Truth.
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Chapter 64: Journey of Faith
When things are still and quiet, situations are easy to control 1
When there are yet no problems, it is easy to plan 2
When things are fragile, they can easily break
When matters are small, they can easily scatter
Prepare before problems begin 2
Get things in order before they get out of hand
A tree trunk as wide as a man’s arm span grows from a seedling 3
A tower nine stories high begins with a mound of earth
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet
Those who interfere will fail 1
Those who find their life according to this world will lose it 4
Thus, the wise do not interfere 1
And yet they never fail
They do not find life according to this world 4
And yet never lose it
In handling affairs, people often fail at the point of success 4
Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning 5
And the journey will have no failure
The wise do not desire what men desire 4
They do not store up treasures of this world
They learn to be rid of worldly knowledge 6
They redeem us from what was lost 4
They restore the nature of all things 5
They can do this without interfering
Prepare While All Is Quiet
“When things are still and quiet, situations are easy to control
When there are yet no problems, it is easy to plan
When things are fragile, they can easily break
When matters are small, they can easily scatter
Prepare before problems begin
Get things in order before they get out of hand”
Chapter 64 of the Christian Edition of the Te Ching reflects the wisdom of faith, patience, and surrender to God’s guidance. The opening lines emphasize the importance of acting before difficulties arise, much like Proverbs 4:10-15 advises believers to walk in wisdom and avoid the path of the wicked. When life is still and quiet, it is easier to discern God’s will and prepare for what is to come. This aligns with Proverbs 3:5-6, which urges believers to trust in the Lord rather than their own understanding, ensuring that their paths remain straight.
The chapter’s first four lines describe how things work in every life. Calm seasons are the easiest to steer. Problems are easiest to solve before they exist. What is fragile breaks easily, and what is small scatters easily. A hairline crack, a small debt, a little coldness between friends: each is simple to mend early and hard to mend late.
“The clever see danger and hide, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
Proverbs 22:3NRSVue
So the chapter gives its first advice: “Prepare before problems begin. Get things in order before they get out of hand.” For a Christian this is not anxious planning. It is the quiet wisdom of a heart that walks with God every day. In the garden Jesus told His friends to keep watch, because temptation rarely announces itself ahead of time.
“Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Matthew 26:41ESV
The good news is that quiet days are never wasted. Prayer in a calm season is like oil stored up for a lamp. When the storm comes, we are not starting from nothing. We already know the voice of the Shepherd who “leads me beside quiet waters” (Psalm 23:2), and we can follow Him through the rough waters too.
“Prudence disposes the practical reason to discern, in every circumstance, our true good and to choose the right means for achieving it.”Catechism 1835
“When we say ‘lead us not into temptation’ we are asking God not to allow us to take the path that leads to sin. This petition implores the Spirit of discernment and strength; it requests the grace of vigilance and final perseverance.”Catechism 2863
The check-engine light comes on, and you tell yourself you will deal with it later. The same goes for the small argument you never talked through, the charges on your card you stopped reading, and the late nights that keep getting later. Nothing is broken yet. That is exactly the moment Chapter 64 speaks to: “When there are yet no problems, it is easy to plan.” Faith is not only for emergencies. A few quiet minutes with God today can spare you a crisis later, and they keep your heart close to Him either way.
Try this today: Pick one small thing that is starting to slip, and take one step to set it right today, with a short prayer for wisdom.
From a Seedling to a Great Tree
“A tree trunk as wide as a man’s arm span grows from a seedling
A tower nine stories high begins with a mound of earth
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet”
The imagery of a great tree growing from a small seed and a towering structure beginning with a single mound of earth mirrors the biblical principle that faith, even as small as a mustard seed, can produce great results in God’s time (Habakkuk 2:3; Matthew 17:20). Likewise, the journey of faith begins with one step—Abraham’s calling in Genesis 12:1-2 is a prime example, where his obedience to leave his homeland led to the fulfillment of God’s promise to make him the father of many nations.
Notice that each picture starts at ground level. A trunk too wide to hug was once a seedling you could step on. A tall tower started as a pile of dirt. A long journey started with one footprint. God loves to work this way, and He never looks down on a small start.
“For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice…”
Zechariah 4:10ESV
This is how God saved the world. He did not begin with an army but with a baby in a manger, in a small town, born to a young mother who said yes. The Church began with a few fishermen. Holiness grows the same way in us: one prayer, one act of patience, one honest Confession, repeated until it becomes a life.
Small steps also need patience. A seedling does not become a tree overnight, and pulling on it will not make it grow faster. St. Paul knew that every apostle only plants and waters. The growth always belongs to God.
“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.”
1 Corinthians 3:6-7NRSVue
“Let us believe the Gospel when it tells us that the kingdom of God is already present in this world and is growing, here and there, and in different ways: like the small seed which grows into a great tree…”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 278
“When God calls him, Abraham goes forth ‘as the Lord had told him’; Abraham’s heart is entirely submissive to the Word and so he obeys. … Abraham’s prayer is expressed first by deeds: a man of silence, he constructs an altar to the Lord at each stage of his journey.”Catechism 2570
You downloaded the language app and quit after a week. You signed up for the gym in January and stopped by February. You promised yourself you would read the whole Bible this year. Big plans can leave us feeling like failures. Chapter 64 offers a gentler way: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet.” God is not waiting for your grand plan. He is asking for today’s step: one psalm, one short prayer in the car, one kind word at home. Footprints add up to a road.
Try this today: Choose one tiny daily step toward God, small enough that you cannot skip it, and start it today.
Letting Go of the Grip
“Those who interfere will fail
Those who find their life according to this world will lose it
Thus, the wise do not interfere
And yet they never fail
They do not find life according to this world
And yet never lose it”
This passage also cautions against interfering or striving in human effort alone, as those who seek to control everything will ultimately fail. Psalm 37:5-7 calls believers to commit their ways to the Lord and trust in Him, while Matthew 10:38-39 reinforces that those who try to secure their life in worldly ways will lose it. Instead, Jesus teaches that true life is found in surrendering to God’s will, just as He resisted Satan’s temptation to seize earthly power (Matthew 4:8-11).
To “interfere” here means to force things: pushing, grabbing, trying to steer every outcome by our own strength. It is the opposite of trust. The chapter sets it beside a second warning, about people who “find their life according to this world.” Both are ways of holding on too tightly, and both end the same way: what we clutch slips through our fingers.
“Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.”
Psalm 55:22ESV
The wise take a different path. They “do not interfere,” and yet “they never fail.” This does not mean they do nothing. They work, pray and love with all their hearts, but they leave the results to God. Mary at Cana did not take over the wedding. She told Jesus the need, and told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you” (John 2:5).
The same is true of life itself. The wise “do not find life according to this world,” and yet they “never lose it.” It sounds backward, but it is the way of the Cross, and it is how Jesus lived. He trusted His Father all the way to Calvary, and the Father raised Him up. Whoever rests in God the same way finds a life no one can take.
“…O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.”
Psalm 62:5ESV
“At the end of this time Satan tempts him three times, seeking to compromise his filial attitude toward God. Jesus rebuffs these attacks…”Catechism 538
“Ours is a time of continual movement which often leads to restlessness, with the risk of ‘doing for the sake of doing’. We must resist this temptation by trying ‘to be’ before trying ‘to do’.”Saint John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte 15
“Divine providence consists of the dispositions by which God guides all his creatures with wisdom and love to their ultimate end.”Catechism 321
Not interfering does not mean doing nothing. God gives us real work to do, and He guides all of it with wisdom and love.
Your teenager is making choices you would not make, and you are tempted to read every text. The project at work is moving slowly, so you redo everyone’s part at midnight. You keep refreshing the inbox, the tracking number, the test results. We call it being responsible, but often it is fear wearing a work badge. Chapter 64 says, “Those who interfere will fail.” Love does its part fully, then lets go. Tonight you can put the phone down, say, “Jesus, I trust in You,” and actually sleep.
Try this today: Name one situation you keep trying to control, do your honest part today, then pray, “Father, the rest is Yours.”
Faithful to the Finish
“In handling affairs, people often fail at the point of success
Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning
And the journey will have no failure”
The final section warns of the dangers of losing faith near the point of success, urging perseverance to the very end (Titus 2:11-15). Many falter when victory is near because they become distracted or discouraged. However, Jesus assures His followers in John 16:33 that despite trials, He has overcome the world, giving them strength to endure. The wise, according to this teaching, do not store up worldly treasures (Luke 12:13-21) or chase after human desires but instead seek the wisdom of God (James 1:5).
Why do people fail “at the point of success”? Sometimes we get tired. Sometimes we get proud and think we no longer need God now that things are going well. Sometimes we simply drift. Jesus told of a builder who laid a foundation and could not finish, leaving a half-built tower for everyone to laugh at.
“…when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’”
Luke 14:29-30ESV
Even great saints felt the strain near the end. John the Baptist, who had pointed to Jesus so boldly, sat in prison and sent his disciples to ask, “Are you the one who is to come?” (Matthew 11:3). Jesus did not scold him. He sent back signs of hope. When our faith grows tired, He does the same for us.
The chapter’s answer is simple: “Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning.” Faithfulness at the finish is a grace, so we ask for it every day. And the promise is beautiful: “the journey will have no failure.” With Christ, the road ends at home.
“…and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith…”
Hebrews 12:1-2NRSVue
“The greater the height, the harder the fall. Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse of presumption. The humble are not surprised by their distress; it leads them to trust more, to hold fast in constancy.”Catechism 2733
“The prayer of Abraham and Jacob is presented as a battle of faith marked by trust in God’s faithfulness and by certitude in the victory promised to perseverance.”Catechism 2592
You were so close. The healthy eating was working until the holidays. The counseling was helping, and then you both got busy. You prayed every morning for weeks, then skipped a day, then a week. It happens to everyone, and Chapter 64 names it: “people often fail at the point of success.” The answer is not shame. It is starting again, today, with the same simple trust you had at the beginning. God is not keeping score of your restarts. He is walking the road with you.
Try this today: Think of one good habit or promise you have let slide, and pick it up again today with a short prayer for perseverance.
Treasures That Last
“The wise do not desire what men desire
They do not store up treasures of this world
They learn to be rid of worldly knowledge”
Now the chapter shows what makes the wise different. They “do not desire what men desire.” The world trains us to want more: more money, more followers, more control, more of whatever the neighbors have. The wise want God first. Jesus told of a rich man who built bigger barns and planned to take life easy, but that very night his life was demanded of him.
“So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”
Luke 12:21ESV
So the wise “do not store up treasures of this world.” Money and things are not evil, but they make poor masters. St. Paul warns that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil,” and that some who chased it “wandered from the faith” (1 Timothy 6:10). What we store up shows where our heart is.
Then comes a surprising line: “They learn to be rid of worldly knowledge.” This is not a rejection of school or science. It means letting go of the world’s ideas about what makes a life a success, and asking for the deeper wisdom only God gives. St. Paul calls it “God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden” (1 Corinthians 2:7), and God gives it to anyone who asks.
“…we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”
Colossians 1:9ESV
“…this ‘intimate and vital bond of man to God’… can be forgotten, overlooked, or even explicitly rejected by man. Such attitudes can have different causes: … the cares and riches of this world…”Catechism 29
“The tenth commandment requires that envy be banished from the human heart.”Catechism 2538
Your feed is a shop window that never closes. Every scroll shows a newer phone, a bigger house, a better vacation. Without noticing, you start wanting what everyone else wants and feeling poor in the middle of plenty. Chapter 64 says “the wise do not desire what men desire.” That does not mean you can never buy anything. It means asking a better question first: will this make me richer toward God, or just busier, more anxious and deeper in debt? Treasure in heaven never needs an upgrade.
Try this today: Before your next purchase that is not a need, wait a day and ask God, “Is this where I want my heart to be?”
Redeemed and Restored
“They redeem us from what was lost
They restore the nature of all things
They can do this without interfering”
The chapter ends by showing what the wise do with hands that are no longer grabbing: “They redeem us from what was lost. They restore the nature of all things.” In the fullest sense, only one Person does this. Jesus is the Redeemer who came “to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). What sin broke in us, He makes whole again.
“For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Colossians 1:19-20ESV
His work does not stop with us. Creation itself waits to be set free, and in the end He will make all things new (Romans 8:21; Revelation 21:5). Until then, He lets His disciples share in His restoring work: a parent who forgives, a friend who reaches out, a parish that cares for the poor, a sinner who comes back to Confession.
And notice the last line: “They can do this without interfering.” Christ restores us without crushing our freedom. He knocks; He does not break down the door. His grace heals from the inside, gently and patiently, the way spring brings a bare garden back to life.
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.”
Revelation 3:20ESV
“Christ’s whole life is a mystery of recapitulation. All Jesus did, said and suffered had for its aim restoring fallen man to his original vocation…”Catechism 518
“By his Passion, Christ delivered us from Satan and from sin. He merited for us the new life in the Holy Spirit. His grace restores what sin had damaged in us.”Catechism 1708
Maybe it is a friendship that ended badly, a family that does not talk anymore, or a part of you that you think is gone for good: your joy, your faith, your trust. We are quick to label things ruined. Chapter 64 ends with hope: “They redeem us from what was lost. They restore the nature of all things.” Christ does not force His way in, but He never stops knocking. Confession, a sincere apology, one honest prayer: these are doors He loves to walk through.
Try this today: Bring one broken thing to Jesus in prayer today, and if you can, take one small step to mend it, like a message or an apology.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
Ultimately, this chapter calls for a faith that is steady, patient, and unwavering. The wise do not force outcomes but trust God’s plan. They seek spiritual riches over earthly wealth, recognizing that the greatest success is not found in worldly achievements but in living according to the will of God. Through humility, perseverance, and faith, they walk the path of righteousness, knowing that their journey will not end in failure but in eternal fulfillment.
Chapter 64 is a map for the whole journey. Prepare with God on the quiet days. Honor small beginnings and take the next step. Do your part and let go of what only God can do. Keep the faith at the finish as you did at the start. Store up the treasure that lasts, and let Christ restore what was lost.
None of this happens in one big leap. It happens in footprints: Mass on Sunday, a prayer in the morning, a decade of the Rosary in the car, an apology at dinner. Over time God turns those footprints into a road, and the road leads home.
“I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work in you will continue to complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”
Philippians 1:6NRSVue
“Let us go forward in hope! … The Son of God… is at work even today: we need discerning eyes to see this and, above all, a generous heart to become the instruments of his work.”Saint John Paul II, Novo Millennio Ineunte 58
“Christian hope takes up and fulfills the hope of the chosen people which has its origin and model in the hope of Abraham, who was blessed abundantly by the promises of God fulfilled in Isaac, and who was purified by the test of the sacrifice.”Catechism 1819
A coworker is overwhelmed and ready to quit. A friend just started coming back to church and feels awkward. Your child is scared of a big new step. You do not need a speech. You can walk the first mile with them. Share the line, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet.” Offer to pray, to drive, to sit beside them at Mass. Then do not push. Let God grow what you planted, and keep showing up all the way to the end.
Try this today: Choose one person facing a long road, and take one small step with them this week: a text, a ride or a prayer together.
RENEWAL
The Trinitarian M.A.P. is the method for RENEWAL, where God’s Love shapes our MINDSET, Trust in the Son directs our AIM, and Faith in the Holy Spirit guides our PRACTICE.
This chapter offers a new “Method” for the New Evangelization to RENEW our hearts and minds through the Trinitarian M.A.P. Bring this chapter into your day with the BFG Companion App. Pick Chapter 64 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind, and Chapter 64 starts in the quiet: “When things are still and quiet, situations are easy to control.” Most of us only think hard about God when something breaks. The chapter teaches a wiser habit: “Prepare before problems begin.” A heart that prays on the calm days is ready on the hard ones. Proverbs says it plainly: “The clever see danger and hide, but the simple go on and suffer for it” (Proverbs 22:3, NRSVue). So we begin by turning to God now, while things are calm, and not only when they fall apart.
The chapter also warns, “When things are fragile, they can easily break.” A short temper, a secret habit, a little resentment: small things are easy to handle while they are still small. Left alone, they grow. Proverbs tells us to trust the Lord and “lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5). A renewed mind does not wait for the crisis. It brings the small cracks to God early, in prayer and in Confession, and lets Him set things in order “before they get out of hand.”
Try this: Name one small thing that is starting to slip, a habit, a grudge or a worry, and bring it to God in prayer today before it grows.
Proverbs 22:3NRSVue “The clever see danger and hide, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
Proverbs 3:5-6NRSVue “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own insight. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.”
More Scripture: Song of Songs 2:15 · Matthew 26:41
A renewed mind needs a direction, and Chapter 64 points to a long road taken one step at a time: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet.” Abraham never saw the whole map. God said “Go,” and he took the first step (Genesis 12:1). Our aim is not to fix our whole life by Friday. It is to take the next faithful step toward Jesus today, and then the next one. “A tree trunk as wide as a man’s arm span grows from a seedling,” and God is patient with seedlings.
The road is long, and the chapter is honest about where people fall: “In handling affairs, people often fail at the point of success.” We start a prayer habit with fire and drop it a few weeks later. We get close to the goal, then coast. So we aim at the finish line, not only the starting line: “Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning.” At the end of his life St. Paul could say, “I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). That is our aim: to end with Jesus as faithfully as we began.
Try this: Choose one small step toward God you can take today, like one decade of the Rosary or one psalm, and ask Him for the grace to keep taking it.
Genesis 12:1-2NRSVue “Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.””
2 Timothy 4:7NRSVue “I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.”
More Scripture: Zechariah 4:10 · Galatians 6:9
Renewal becomes real in daily life, and here the chapter surprises us: “Those who interfere will fail… Thus, the wise do not interfere.” This is not laziness. It is the Holy Spirit teaching us to stop forcing what only God can grow. Jesus told of a man who scatters seed and goes to sleep, and “the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how” (Mark 4:27). So we do our part, praying, working and loving, and then we take our hands off. We stop trying to manage our kids, our coworkers and our future by force, and we let God be God.
The Spirit also frees our hands from grabbing. “The wise do not desire what men desire. They do not store up treasures of this world.” Then the chapter shows what the wise do instead: “They redeem us from what was lost. They restore the nature of all things.” Only Christ can redeem, but the Spirit lets us share in His work: a phone call that mends a friendship, an apology, a kindness to someone the world has written off. Hands that are not busy hoarding are free to help God restore.
Try this: Pick one situation you keep trying to fix by force, pray, “Holy Spirit, You take it,” and do only your honest part today.
Mark 4:26-27NRSVue “…The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”
Matthew 6:19-20NRSVue “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”
More Scripture: Psalm 37:5-7 · Luke 19:10
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Prepare with God while things are quiet, take the next small step and keep the faith to the end, and let the Spirit loosen your grip so Christ can restore what was lost.
RESPOND
Renewal brings the transformation of our spirit with ardor, empowering us to RESPOND to the call of holiness and make disciples of all nations. This encourages meaningful dialogue to embrace shared truths that transcend cultural and religious boundaries.
Renewal does not end with us. When God changes a heart, He sends it out on a journey, and Chapter 64 says every journey “begins with a footprint beneath the feet.” You do not need a big plan or a stage to share your faith. You need one step, one conversation, one prayer for one person. And you do not have to force anything, because the chapter promises, “Thus, the wise do not interfere, and yet they never fail.” Take the first step; God grows the tree.
In 1983, Saint John Paul II called the Church to an evangelization that is “new in its ardor, new in its methods, new in its expression.” The Gospel never changes. The way we carry it must be alive for our time. Chapter 64 shows why: a world in a hurry for instant results needs fresh words about seedlings, first steps and a faith that lasts to the end.
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 64 says, “Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning.” The fire is not only for the first day; God keeps it burning all the way home.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 64 trusts small beginnings, so a short text, a simple invitation or a single verse can be the “mound of earth” God builds on.
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 64 says “the wise do not interfere.” Our tools do not push or pressure anyone; they offer a next step and leave room for God to work.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 64 trusts small beginnings, so a short text, a simple invitation or a single verse can be the “mound of earth” God builds on.
What my life was like before I really met Jesus.
How He met me, and the moment things began to change.
What is different now, and the hope I carry. Like the chapter’s “footprint beneath the feet,” what was the first small step that started your journey back to God?
Meet people where they are: on the phone in their hand. The BFG Handbook and the BFG Companion turn one conversation into a path to Christ and His Church. Chapter 64 says “the wise do not interfere.” Our tools do not push or pressure anyone; they offer a next step and leave room for God to work.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 64, Journey of Faith, helps anyone starting over, anyone who feels stuck at the beginning, and anyone tempted to quit just before the finish.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 64 when someone is facing a long road, trying to control everything, or ready to give up just before the finish). In seconds: a reflection, the M.A.P., a saint, a prayer, Scripture, a song and a church nearby. Send it by email, PDF or a share link.
Hard question? Ask it together. Answers are grounded in Catholic teaching, the saints and the BFG Handbook. Talk or type. Try asking together: “How do I keep my faith strong to the end, and not just at the beginning?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. One bead at a time, the Rosary is a journey of small steps, and each decade is another footprint on the way to Jesus.
Catholic churches near anyone, with Mass and Confession times, directions, and one tap to add a time to the calendar. Every conversation can end at a church door. In Confession and at Mass, Christ does what Chapter 64 describes: He redeems us “from what was lost” and restores us to the Father.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. Daily reminders help us “prepare before problems begin,” praying on the calm days so we are ready for the hard ones.
Free to start, no card needed. Read aloud in 48 languages.
One tool that walks with a person from the first question to the church door.
Jesus sent His apostles first to Jerusalem, then to Judea and Samaria, then to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). Start where you are. Chapter 64 says a great journey “begins with a footprint beneath the feet,” so your first mission field is right where your feet already stand.
- Pray the Rosary together on Pray My Rosary.
- Bless your children at bedtime.
- Share a Guidance with a spouse or child who is struggling.
- Find Sunday Mass times together with Church Finder.
- Read Chapter 64 at dinner and ask: “What is one small thing we can set right now, before it gets out of hand?”
- Text a verse from your Guidance.
- Ask, “How can I pray for you?” and pray right then.
- Invite a friend to Mass, then go for coffee.
- Send the line: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet.”
- Be the calm, kind one.
- Pray on your lunch break with a reminder.
- Start a small chapter group that meets once a week. Begin with Chapter 64, Journey of Faith.
- Respect the rules: invite, never push.
- Listen for the moment: “Things have been hard.”
- Offer: “Can I send you something that helped me?”
- Share the Chapter 64 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- When a friend is close to giving up, share “Keep the faith to the end no less than at the beginning,” and offer to pray with them.
- Visit the sick, the elderly and the lonely; pray the Rosary with them.
- Serve at a food bank.
- Welcome newcomers at Mass.
- Join your parish evangelization team.
- Ask shops, cafés and offices to display a BFG card with a QR code.
- Offer a short lunch talk on faith at work.
- Business owners: offer the Companion to staff as a free gift, never a requirement.
- Go where people already gather, and be the friendly one who listens.
- Pray quietly for the people around you.
- When a talk turns real, share a Guidance or the chapter song.
- Wear or carry a simple sign of your faith, like a cross or a rosary, that can start a conversation.
- At the gym or on a running trail, every rep and every mile starts small; share that Chapter 64 says “a tower nine stories high begins with a mound of earth.”
- Host a Chapter 64 “Journey of Faith” night, a Handbook chapter night, a Rosary night or an “Ask Anything” faith night.
- Show the Companion on a big screen and let people try it.
- We did this at our free conference, The New Evangelization in the Age of AI, at Christ Cathedral.
- Share a Guidance, a chapter song or a Scripture card. Try: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a footprint beneath the feet.”
- One post can reach someone you will never meet.
- Join a parish or diocese mission trip.
- The Companion speaks 48 languages, so you leave behind something that keeps speaking after you go home.
- Chapter 64’s saying about the journey of a thousand miles is known around the world, a natural bridge to Christ, who walks every step with us.
- Your parish ministries, the Legion of Mary, the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Catholic Charities, prison, hospital and campus ministries, and mission groups.
- Bring the BFG tools to their work.
The road will be long, and some days you will feel you are getting nowhere. But Chapter 64 says the great tree “grows from a seedling,” and that when we keep the faith to the end, “the journey will have no failure.” Go one step at a time. Go without forcing. Go together. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, to plant small seeds and trust God to grow them.
Faithful God of every step, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
NRSVue © 2021 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. Scripture quotations marked ESV are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025. The ESV text may not be quoted in any publication made available to the public by a Creative Commons license. The ESV may not be translated in whole or in part into any other language. Used by permission. All rights reserved.