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.
Chapter 22 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 22: Divine Wholeness
Remain yielding to become whole 1
Remain bending to become straight
Remain empty to become filled
The weary will be renewed 2
The poor will receive
The abundance will be confused
Therefore, the Master embraces Oneness 3
To be an example for the world
Because He does not exalt himself 4
He shines forth
Because He does not look to justify himself 5
He becomes distinguished
Because He does not boast of himself 6
He gains merit
Because He does not glorify himself
He endures
Because He does not contend 5
He cannot be contended against
The ancients said, “Remain yielding to become whole”
Were they speaking empty words?
Become whole and you will return to harmony 1
Yield, Bend, Be Emptied
“Remain yielding to become whole
Remain bending to become straight
Remain empty to become filled”
In Chapter 22 of the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching, the concept of divine wholeness is explored through the paradox of yielding to become whole, bending to become straight, and remaining empty to be filled. This reflects the Christian teaching that true strength and fulfillment are found in humility, selflessness, and dependence on God. Jesus Christ, the ultimate example of divine wholeness, embraced these principles throughout His life. He humbled Himself, even to the point of death on the cross, in order to accomplish the will of the Father (Philippians 2:5-11). By yielding, He embodied the fullness of God’s plan for salvation, showing that through surrender and humility, one can experience God’s power and presence.
Each of these three lines is a small paradox. Yielding usually sounds like losing, but here it is the way to become whole. A young tree that bends with the wind survives the storm, while a stiff branch snaps. In the same way, the heart that says yes to God, even when it is hard, is not torn apart. It is gathered together around Him.
“Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways”
Luke 3:5ESV
“Remain bending to become straight” fits the passage this line points to. John the Baptist called people to prepare the way of the Lord, and the crooked roads in their hearts were made straight when they bent low in repentance. Bending is not weakness. It is the humble posture of someone who lets God correct the path, trusting the promise that “he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:6).
Then comes “Remain empty to become filled.” God does not force His way into a heart that is already full of itself. Mary called herself the lowly servant of the Lord, and she was filled with grace. The empty hands of the poor in spirit are exactly the hands God loves to fill.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3
“…united with Jesus and with the power of his Holy Spirit, we can surrender our will to him and decide to choose what his Son has always chosen: to do what is pleasing to the Father.”Catechism 2825
“This endeavor of conversion is not just a human work. It is the movement of a ‘contrite heart,’ drawn and moved by grace to respond to the merciful love of God who loved us first.”Catechism 1428
“Contemplative prayer is the simplest expression of the mystery of prayer. It is a gift, a grace; it can be accepted only in humility and poverty.”Catechism 2713
Your week is packed: work deadlines, kids’ practices, a parent who needs help, and a phone that never stops buzzing. Even your prayer time turns into a to-do list for God. Then something goes wrong, a plan falls apart, and you feel yourself digging in and gripping harder. Chapter 22 offers another way: “Remain yielding to become whole.” What if the plan falling apart is the moment God is making room? Yielding is not giving up. It is handing the pieces to the One who can put them back together.
Try this today: Before you open your phone tomorrow morning, sit quietly, open your hands, and pray, “Lord, empty me of what is not You, and fill me.”
Rest for the Weary, Gifts for the Poor
“The weary will be renewed
The poor will receive
The abundance will be confused”
The idea that “the weary will be renewed” and “the poor will receive” echoes the teachings of Jesus, who promised rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28-30) and elevated the poor in spirit (Luke 6:20). This divine reversal is central to the Christian faith: through weakness, God’s strength is made perfect (2 Corinthians 12:9). When the world exalts the powerful and the wealthy, Christ’s kingdom values the humble, the meek, and the broken-hearted, offering them peace and grace.
Isaiah, in the verse this line points to, wrote to a people worn down by exile and long waiting. He did not promise that life would stop being hard. He promised that those who hope in the Lord would receive new strength, the kind that does not come from coffee, willpower or a weekend away, but from God Himself.
“but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31NRSVue
The third line is the warning side of the same truth: “The abundance will be confused.” Those who are full of themselves and their things can lose their way. Mary sang about this great reversal. It is not that God despises what He has made. It is that a heart stuffed with possessions has no room left to receive.
“he has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he has sent away empty.”
Luke 1:52-53ESV
So the chapter turns the world’s scoreboard upside down. The weary, who know they need help, are renewed. The poor, who know they cannot pay, receive. And those who think they have everything are left confused about what really matters.
“The virtue of hope responds to the aspiration to happiness which God has placed in the heart of every man… it keeps man from discouragement; it sustains him during times of abandonment; it opens up his heart in expectation of eternal beatitude.”Catechism 1818
“The People of the ‘poor’—those who, humble and meek, rely solely on their God’s mysterious plans, who await the justice, not of men but of the Messiah—are in the end the great achievement of the Holy Spirit’s hidden mission during the time of the promises that prepare for Christ’s coming.”Catechism 716
“This is why I want a Church which is poor and for the poor. They have much to teach us.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 198
You finally got the raise, the bigger apartment, the newer phone. For a while it felt great. Then the payments came, the hours got longer, and somehow you feel more anxious than before. Meanwhile, a friend who lost her job tells you she has never prayed more or felt closer to God. “The poor will receive,” says Chapter 22, and “the abundance will be confused.” Having things is not wrong. But things cannot hold us up when we are tired. Only God can renew the weary.
Try this today: Give away one thing you do not need this week, and as you do, ask God to make more room in your heart for Him.
One with the Father, an Example for the World
“Therefore, the Master embraces Oneness
To be an example for the world”
The Master in this passage is called to embrace Oneness, to be an example for the world, which is reflected in Jesus’ life as the Son of God who perfectly united humanity with the Father (John 17:22-23). His example of selfless living, not seeking to exalt Himself but allowing God to exalt Him, demonstrates the divine principle of humility and service. Jesus often taught that those who humble themselves will be exalted (Matthew 23:12), showing that greatness in the kingdom of God is not measured by self-promotion but by self-sacrifice.
Notice the word “Therefore.” The Master’s oneness grows out of everything before it: yielding, bending, being emptied. Jesus could say “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30, RSVCE) because He never held anything back from the Father. His whole life was one long yes. That union is the secret of His peace, and He wants to share it with us.
His oneness is meant to be seen. At the Last Supper He knelt and washed His friends’ feet, then told them He had given them an example. We become an example for the world, not by being perfect or famous, but by living so close to Christ that others catch a glimpse of His humble love in our ordinary days.
“So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have set you an example, that you also should do as I have done to you.”
John 13:14-15NRSVue
The Church is called to be this example together. When Christians are one with God and one with each other, the world sees something it cannot explain any other way. Gossip, rivalry and division hide that light; unity lets it shine.
“The Word became flesh to be our model of holiness: ‘Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me.’”Catechism 459
“The Church, in Christ, is like a sacrament—a sign and instrument, that is, of communion with God and of unity among all men.”Catechism 775
Your kids hear how you talk about your boss. Your coworkers notice whether you join the complaining. Your friends see what you do when someone in the group chat is left out. You may never preach a sermon, but you are already an example of something. Chapter 22 says the Master embraces Oneness “to be an example for the world.” The best example you can give is not a perfect life. It is a life visibly connected to God: quick to pray, quick to forgive, slow to take sides.
Try this today: Before a hard conversation today, pray, “Jesus, keep me one with You,” and let that shape how you speak.
No Need to Prove Himself
“Because He does not exalt himself
He shines forth
Because He does not look to justify himself
He becomes distinguished
Because He does not boast of himself
He gains merit”
Jesus’ refusal to justify Himself or boast of His actions is a key aspect of His character. He lived in perfect obedience to the Father, even when falsely accused or misunderstood, and He did not seek to defend Himself (Matthew 27:11-26). His commitment to endure and not contend with others aligns with the passage’s teaching that “He cannot be contended against.” This reflects the Christian truth that ultimate victory comes not through force or conflict but through the power of love, humility, and obedience to God’s will.
Each of these lines follows the same pattern: let go of something, and God gives something better. The one who does not exalt himself shines. The one who does not keep justifying himself is honored. The one who does not boast gains merit. Jesus said this plainly to people who worked hard on their image, reminding them that God looks past the image to the heart.
“…You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is exalted among men is an abomination in the sight of God.”
Luke 16:15ESV
That is why Jesus never chased His own glory; He left that to the Father. A Christian does not need to justify himself either, because God is the One who justifies us by His grace. We do not earn His love with a clever defense or a polished image, and whatever merit we have is His gift at work in us.
“Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me”…”
John 8:54NRSVue
“Our justification comes from the grace of God. Grace is favor, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God…”Catechism 1996
“Boasting or bragging is an offense against truth.”Catechism 2481
“Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification…”Catechism 2010
St. Thérèse echoes this whole chapter: she came to God with empty hands, asking Him to fill them, and the Church honors her among the great saints.
Someone misread your text, and now you are typing a long message explaining yourself. A coworker took credit for your idea, and you are drafting the email that sets the record straight. Online, someone twisted your words, and you want everyone to know the truth. Chapter 22 does not say truth does not matter. It says you do not have to carry your reputation alone: “Because He does not look to justify himself, He becomes distinguished.” Say what is needed, simply and kindly. Then let God defend you.
Try this today: The next time you start writing a long message to defend yourself, shorten it to the plain truth and give the rest to God in prayer.
He Endures, and No One Can Fight Him
“Because He does not glorify himself
He endures
Because He does not contend
He cannot be contended against”
Glory we give ourselves fades fast. A post that everyone shared is forgotten in days; a title on the door changes when the company does. But the chapter says that because the Master “does not glorify himself, He endures.” What God builds in a humble heart lasts. Jesus left His glory in the Father’s hands, and that glory has outlasted every empire that opposed Him.
“I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.”
John 17:4-5ESV
“Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against.” You cannot win a fight against someone who will not fight on your terms. Jesus was arrested, mocked and condemned, yet no one took His life from Him; He laid it down freely. His silence before His accusers was not defeat. It was the strength of someone completely secure in the Father’s love.
“If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Romans 8:31
This does not mean Christians never stand up for what is right. It means we do not live for the next argument. We can disagree with peace in our hearts, because our worth and our future are not on the line. They are safe with God.
“…out of love for his Father and for men, whom the Father wants to save, Jesus freely accepted his Passion and death: ‘No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.’ Hence the sovereign freedom of God’s Son as he went out to his death.”Catechism 609
“It is not easy for man, wounded by sin, to maintain moral balance. Christ’s gift of salvation offers us the grace necessary to persevere in the pursuit of the virtues.”Catechism 1811
“…the early Christian communities, living in a pagan world marked by widespread corruption and aberrations, sought to show unfailing patience, tolerance and understanding. Some texts are very clear in this regard: we are told to admonish our opponents “with gentleness” (2 Tim 2:25)…”Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti 239
There is always another fight available. A relative posts something that makes your blood boil. A neighbor complains about your parking again. Your teenager rolls their eyes, and you feel the old heat rise. You could fire back, and maybe even win. But you would walk away more drained than before. Chapter 22 shows a stronger way: “Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against.” Peace is not weakness. It is the quiet strength of someone who does not need the last word, because God already has it.
Try this today: Choose one ongoing argument in your life and decide, with God’s help, to stop feeding it this week.
Not Empty Words
“The ancients said, “Remain yielding to become whole”
Were they speaking empty words?
Become whole and you will return to harmony”
The chapter concludes with the ancient wisdom that by remaining yielding, one becomes whole, which is a profound expression of the Christian path. By surrendering our desires, ambitions, and self-will to God, we are made whole and restored to the divine harmony that existed before the Fall. Jesus’ life and sacrifice restore this wholeness, offering reconciliation with God and with others (Romans 5:10). Therefore, through humility, yielding, and embracing God’s plan, believers find the wholeness and peace that leads to eternal life.
The chapter asks its own question: “Were they speaking empty words?” For a Christian the answer is no, and the proof is a Person. Jesus yielded all the way to the Cross, and the Father raised Him up. The old wisdom about yielding was a shadow; in Christ it took on flesh and blood. Wherever people have sensed that humility leads to wholeness, they were glimpsing a ray of His light.
“so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
Isaiah 55:11ESV
Sin scattered us: from God, from each other, even within ourselves. Christ came to gather the pieces. In Him we are reconciled to the Father, and we are given the ministry of reconciliation, so that the harmony He restores in us can spread to our homes, our friendships and our neighborhoods.
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation”
2 Corinthians 5:17-18ESV
“Believers can profit from this dialogue by learning to appreciate better “those elements of truth and grace which are found among peoples, and which are, as it were, a secret presence of God.””Catechism 856
“The inner harmony of the human person, the harmony between man and woman, and finally the harmony between the first couple and all creation, comprised the state called ‘original justice’.”Catechism 376
“…the sacrament of Reconciliation with God brings about a true ‘spiritual resurrection,’ restoration of the dignity and blessings of the life of the children of God, of which the most precious is friendship with God.”Catechism 1468
You know the feeling of being pulled into pieces: one version of you at work, another online, another at home, and none of them quite at peace. Underneath, something feels out of tune. Chapter 22 ends with a promise: “Become whole and you will return to harmony.” Wholeness does not come from managing all your versions better. It comes from letting God bring all of you back to Him. Confession is one of the clearest places this happens: you bring the broken pieces, and you leave reconciled.
Try this today: Use Church Finder to look up the next Confession time near you, and add it to your calendar.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
Chapter 22 is a map for anyone tired of holding everything together alone. Yield to God, and He makes you whole. Bend when He corrects you, and He straightens your path. Make room, and He fills you. When you are weary, poor or overlooked, you are exactly the kind of person this chapter says God will lift up.
It also shows us how to live among others. Do not exalt yourself, do not keep justifying yourself, do not boast, and do not fight for the last word. Jesus lived this way all the way to the Cross, and the Father raised Him up. Follow Him, and you will find what the ancients hoped for: wholeness, harmony and peace.
“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Matthew 11:29NRSVue
“Through the prophets, God forms his people in the hope of salvation, in the expectation of a new and everlasting Covenant intended for all, to be written on their hearts. … Above all, the poor and humble of the Lord will bear this hope.”Catechism 64
“…all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity…”Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium 40
Picture an ordinary Tuesday lived the Chapter 22 way. You start by giving God the day before you check your phone. At work, you take a correction without sulking and let a teammate shine. At dinner, you skip the argument you could have won. At night, tired, you do not scroll for comfort; you tell Jesus you are worn out and let Him hold it. Nobody posts about a day like that. But it is the kind of day that, little by little, makes a person whole.
Try this today: Tonight, look back on your day and ask: where did I yield, and where did I grip too tightly? Give both to God.
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 22 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind, and Chapter 22 opens with a surprise: “Remain yielding to become whole.” We usually think wholeness comes from holding on tighter, to our plans, our image, our way of doing things. The chapter says the opposite. A heart that yields to God is not broken by it; it is put back together. St. James says it plainly: “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you” (James 4:10, NRSVue). So we begin by thinking differently about surrender. Handing God the steering wheel is not losing. It is the first step toward being whole.
The next lines go further: “Remain bending to become straight. Remain empty to become filled.” A mind renewed by God can take correction without falling apart, because it knows the Father corrects the children He loves (Proverbs 3:11-12). And it learns that being empty is not a failure. A full cup cannot receive anything. When we stop filling every silence with noise, every worry with more planning and every gap with something to buy or watch, God finally has room to fill us with Himself.
Try this: When someone corrects you today, do not defend yourself right away. Say “thank you,” and pray, “Lord, bend me where I need to bend.”
James 4:10NRSVue “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”
Proverbs 3:11-12NRSVue “My child, do not despise the LORD’s discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the LORD reproves the one he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights.”
More Scripture: Jeremiah 18:6 · Matthew 5:3
A renewed mind needs a direction, and Chapter 22 points to the Master: “Therefore, the Master embraces Oneness to be an example for the world.” Jesus lived in perfect union with the Father, and He prayed that we would share it, “that they may be one as we are one” (John 17:22). Our aim is not to become impressive. It is to stay close to God, so close that our lives begin to look like His. The world has plenty of examples of success. It needs examples of people who are one with God.
The chapter then shows where that aim leads: “Because He does not exalt himself, He shines forth,” and “Because He does not boast of himself, He gains merit.” We live surrounded by personal brands, highlight reels and quiet scorekeeping. Jesus aimed elsewhere: “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted” (Matthew 23:12, NRSVue). So we aim at God’s glory, not our own. We do good work, we let others take the credit, and we trust the Father to make our light shine in His time.
Try this: Today, give someone else the credit for something you helped with, and do not mention your part.
John 17:22-23NRSVue “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me…”
Matthew 23:12NRSVue “All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
More Scripture: John 8:54 · 1 Peter 5:6
Renewal becomes real in daily life. Chapter 22 promises, “The weary will be renewed.” That is good news for anyone running on empty: the parent up again in the night, the student behind on everything, the worker answering emails in bed. Isaiah says those who hope in the Lord “will run and not grow weary” (Isaiah 40:31). But renewal is received, not achieved. So we practice coming to Jesus as we are, tired and unfinished, and we let Him give the rest He promised: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.”
Then the chapter shows how the Master meets conflict: “Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against.” Before Pilate, Jesus made no reply to the charges (Matthew 27:14). He did not need to win the argument, because He was secure in the Father. We practice the same freedom. We let the last word go. We stop rehearsing the comeback. We do not have to justify ourselves in every group chat. As St. Paul says, “as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”
Try this: The next time you feel the urge to win an argument today, pause, pray “Jesus, You are my peace,” and choose a calm answer.
Isaiah 40:31NRSVue “but those who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”
Matthew 11:28NRSVue “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”
More Scripture: Romans 12:18 · 1 Peter 2:23
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Yield to God and let Him make you whole, aim to be one with Him instead of exalting yourself, and let Him renew your tired heart with a peace that needs no fight.
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 makes a heart whole, He sends it out. Chapter 22 says the Master embraces Oneness “to be an example for the world,” and that He “shines forth” precisely because He does not exalt himself. That is freeing for every missionary: you do not have to win arguments or build a following to share Jesus. A yielded heart that God has made whole is already a light the world can see.
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 22 shows why: a world worn out from proving itself needs fresh words for the old promise that “the weary will be renewed.”
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 22 says, “Remain empty to become filled.” The fire of the Spirit does not come from our effort; it fills the room we make for God.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 22 says the Master “does not boast of himself,” so share what God has done for you, not what you have done for 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 22 says, “Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against.” Our tools work best as an invitation, never as a debate to win.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 22 says the Master “does not boast of himself,” so share what God has done for you, not what you have done for God.
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 “The weary will be renewed,” when did God lift you up after you had nothing left?
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 22 says, “Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against.” Our tools work best as an invitation, never as a debate to win.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 22, Divine Wholeness, helps anyone who is worn out, overlooked, or tired of always having to prove themselves.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 22 when someone feels worn out and empty, or keeps fighting to prove they are right). 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: “Why does Jesus say the humble will be lifted up, when the world rewards people who promote themselves?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. In the Sorrowful Mysteries we pray with Jesus as He yields to the Father in the garden, “not my will, but yours,” the very path Chapter 22 describes.
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 we bring our empty hands and leave whole, just as Chapter 22 promises: “Become whole and you will return to harmony.”
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A gentle call to stop, yield, and let a weary heart be renewed.
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 22 says the Master is “an example for the world,” and your world starts with the people who watch how you handle stress, credit and conflict every day.
- 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.
- When an argument starts at home, read aloud “Because He does not contend, He cannot be contended against,” and take a quiet moment before anyone answers.
- 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: “The weary will be renewed.”
- 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 22, Divine Wholeness.
- 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 22 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 burned out, share “Remain empty to become filled” and offer to pray with them that God will fill what is drained.
- 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, where everyone is pushing harder, share that Chapter 22 says “The weary will be renewed,” and that lasting strength comes from God.
- Host a Chapter 22 “Divine Wholeness” 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: “Remain empty to become filled.”
- 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 22’s wisdom about yielding, emptiness and peace is honored in many cultures, a natural bridge to Jesus, who humbled Himself and was exalted.
- 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.
You will not always be understood. Some will misjudge you, and you will be tempted to defend yourself. But Chapter 22 says the Master “does not look to justify himself” and still “becomes distinguished,” and it promises that “the weary will be renewed.” Go humbly. Go rested in God. Go together. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, emptied of yourself and filled with Him.
God who makes the weary whole, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
NRSVue © 2021 and RSVCE © 1965, 1966 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.