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 68 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 68: Humble Leadership
Great generals are not warlike 1
Great warriors do not get angry
Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them
Those who are good humble themselves before the people
It is called the virtue of not contending 2
It is called the power to use the strength of others
It is called being One with the Heavenly Spirit
The great principle of old
Strength That Does Not Need a Fight
“Great generals are not warlike
Great warriors do not get angry”
Chapter 68 of the Christian Edition of the Tao Te Ching emphasizes the virtue of humble leadership, aligning with Christ’s teachings on peace, patience, and reliance on God’s strength. The passage challenges the worldly view of power by stating that great leaders are not warlike, and true warriors do not give in to anger. Psalm 37:1-9 echoes this wisdom, advising believers not to be consumed by strife or rage but to trust in the Lord and seek peace. Jesus Himself exemplified this during His arrest in Matthew 26:50-56, where He refused to fight back, instead choosing the path of surrender to God’s will.
These first lines turn our idea of strength upside down. A general is trained for war, and a warrior is ready to fight. Yet the chapter says the greatest of them are not hungry for battle and not ruled by rage. Their strength is quiet. They do not need to prove themselves, because they are not afraid.
“One who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and one whose temper is controlled than one who captures a city.”
Proverbs 16:32NRSVue
Scripture says it plainly: mastering your own temper is a greater victory than capturing a city. In the garden, Jesus was not weak. He said He could call on His Father for “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53). He chose not to. His calm came from trust in the Father, not from fear.
Anger itself is a feeling, and a feeling is not a sin. But anger that grabs the wheel takes us where we never meant to go: words we regret, doors we slam, friendships we lose. St. James gives the reason in a single line.
“…let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger, for human anger does not produce God’s righteousness.”
James 1:19-20NRSVue
“Jesus himself lived in violent times. Yet he taught that the true battlefield, where violence and peace meet, is the human heart…”Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2017
“We all have our likes and dislikes, and perhaps at this very moment we are angry with someone. At least let us say to the Lord: ‘Lord, I am angry with this person, with that person. I pray to you for him and for her’.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 101
The email lands late at night, copying your boss and blaming you for something that was not your fault. Your heart races. You start typing, and every sentence is sharper than the last. Or it is the driver who cuts you off, or the sibling who brings up an old fight at dinner. In those moments, “Great warriors do not get angry” sounds impossible. But it is not about never feeling the heat. It is about not letting the heat drive. Close the laptop. Breathe. Pray first, and answer in the morning.
Try this today: Before you answer anything that makes you angry today, wait long enough to pray one Our Father.
Winning Without the Battle
“Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them”
True victory, according to this passage, is not found in defeating others through force but in overcoming them through wisdom, humility, and love. This aligns with Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 5:5, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” Christ demonstrated this in His encounters with adversaries, often disarming them not with aggression but with truth and grace. He taught His followers to turn the other cheek, love their enemies, and overcome evil with good (Matthew 5:39, Romans 12:21).
Scripture is full of quiet victories like this. When an enemy army came for the prophet Elisha, God struck them blind, and Elisha led them into the city of Samaria. The king of Israel wanted to strike them down. Elisha told him instead to set food and water before them.
“So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master…”
2 Kings 6:23ESV
A meal ended the raids that a battle never could. That is what this line means. We do not defeat people by beating them down; we defeat the hostility between us. David did the same when he spared King Saul in the cave, and even Saul admitted, “You are more righteous than I” (1 Samuel 24:17).
This does not mean running from every hard conversation or pretending that wrong is right. Jesus spoke the truth plainly. It means we refuse to fight on evil’s terms, because our real enemy is never the person in front of us.
“For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
Ephesians 6:12ESV
“…when, on the night before he died, he told Peter to put away his sword… Jesus marked out the path of nonviolence. He walked that path to the very end, to the cross, whereby he became our peace and put an end to hostility…”Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2017
“…if they see the witness of authentically fraternal and reconciled communities, they will find that witness luminous and attractive.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 100
Your neighbor complains about your dog again, and this time he leaves a nasty note on your car. Every part of you wants to write a nastier one. Or a classmate spreads a rumor, and you know exactly what you could post to get even. Chapter 68 offers another way: “Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them.” Bring the neighbor a coffee and ask what is really bothering him. Greet the classmate kindly and pray for them. You may be surprised how fast a war ends when one side stops fighting.
Try this today: Think of one person you are in a cold war with, and do one small kind thing for them this week.
Bowing Low Before the People
“Those who are good humble themselves before the people”
The next line moves from the battlefield to leadership. The good do not stand over people; they bow before them. That is the opposite of how power usually works. Jesus saw how the rulers of His day lorded it over others, and He told His disciples it must not be so among them.
“But it is not so among you; instead, whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be slave of all. For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
Mark 10:43-45NRSVue
Jesus did more than teach this. On the night before He died, the Lord of heaven and earth tied a towel around His waist and knelt to wash His disciples’ feet. Then He said, “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14, NRSVue).
Humility is not thinking badly of ourselves. It is seeing ourselves truly, as loved and gifted by God, and then using what we have for others. A humble parent, boss, coach or pastor still leads. They simply lead from below, the way a servant does, and people trust them because of it.
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves. Let each of you look not to your own interests but to the interests of others.”
Philippians 2:3-4NRSVue
“Clearly Jesus does not want us to be grandees who look down upon others, but men and women of the people.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 271
“And Christ entered this world to give witness to the truth, to rescue and not to sit in judgment, to serve and not to be served.”Second Vatican Council, Gaudium et Spes 3
The new manager could have taken the corner office and sent orders by email. Instead she spends her first week at people’s desks, asking what makes their jobs hard, and she stays late to help with the worst task herself. Nobody calls it humility, but everybody notices. At home it looks like a dad who says “I was wrong, I’m sorry” to his teenager. Chapter 68 says, “Those who are good humble themselves before the people.” People do not follow titles for long. They follow those who serve.
Try this today: Do one hidden job today that usually falls to someone else, and do not mention it.
The Virtue of Not Contending
“It is called the virtue of not contending”
The passage refers to the virtue of not contending, which reflects a deep trust in God rather than in personal strength. This principle is further explained in Ephesians 3:16-21, where Paul prays for believers to be strengthened by the Holy Spirit, showing that true power comes from God, not from human force. Similarly, Romans 8:9-11 reminds us that those led by the Spirit of God operate differently from the world, relying on divine power rather than earthly means.
Contending means always pushing, competing and arguing to come out on top. It feels like strength, but it wears us out and wears others down. St. James puts his finger on where it really comes from.
“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?”
James 4:1ESV
Not contending is called a virtue because it has to be practiced, the way patience or courage is. It means letting go of the last word, not keeping score, and not treating every disagreement as a contest. St. Paul tells Timothy that “the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone” (2 Timothy 2:24).
This only makes sense if God is the One who fights for us. The prophet Zechariah heard it from the Lord Himself, and it is the secret of this whole line.
“…Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of hosts.”
Zechariah 4:6ESV
“How many wars take place within the people of God and in our different communities! In our neighbourhoods and in the workplace, how many wars are caused by envy and jealousy, even among Christians!”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 98
“Each and everyone should be generous and tireless in forgiving one another for offenses, quarrels, injustices, and neglect. Mutual affection suggests this. The charity of Christ demands it.”Catechism 2227
The family group chat is heating up again. Someone posts an opinion about the holidays, someone else fires back, and soon everyone is typing at once. You have the perfect reply ready. It would win. It would also hurt. Chapter 68 calls the other choice “the virtue of not contending.” That might mean sending a private message instead of a public one, changing the subject to something kind, or simply not replying and praying for everyone in the thread. Peace in a family is rarely won by the best argument.
Try this today: Let one argument go today without needing the last word, and offer that small silence to God.
Strength Shared
“It is called the power to use the strength of others”
At first this line can sound like using people. For a Christian it means the opposite. No one is meant to carry everything alone. God spreads His gifts among many people so that we need each other. A wise leader sees those gifts, welcomes them and lets them shine.
“You and the people with you will certainly wear yourselves out, for the thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it alone.”
Exodus 18:18ESV
Moses heard this from his father-in-law Jethro, who watched him judging the people from morning till evening. Moses chose capable people to share the load, and everyone was better for it. Later, when his arms grew tired in battle, Aaron and Hur held them up (Exodus 17:12).
St. Paul calls the Church a body in which every part matters. The humble person can say “I need you” and mean it. That is real power: not the strength of one, but the strength of many, joined together in Christ.
“The eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you,” nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.””
1 Corinthians 12:21ESV
“…allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills, He distributes special graces among the faithful of every rank. By these gifts He makes them fit and ready to undertake the various tasks and offices which contribute toward the renewal and building up of the Church…”Second Vatican Council, Lumen Gentium 12
“In this solidarity with all men, living or dead, which is founded on the communion of saints, the least of our acts done in charity redounds to the profit of all.”Catechism 953
“Beware of the temptation of jealousy! We are all in the same boat and headed to the same port! Let us ask for the grace to rejoice in the gifts of each, which belong to all.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 99
You volunteered to run the parish dinner, or the school fundraiser, or the family reunion, and now you are doing everything yourself: the shopping, the signs, the setup, the cleanup. You are tired and quietly resentful that no one helps. But have you asked? Chapter 68 speaks of “the power to use the strength of others.” Your cousin loves to cook. Your neighbor is great with spreadsheets. The teenager down the street can carry tables. Letting people help is not failure. It gives them a chance to use the gifts God gave them.
Try this today: Ask someone today to help with a task you usually do alone, and thank them for their gift.
One with the Heavenly Spirit
“It is called being One with the Heavenly Spirit
The great principle of old”
Finally, the passage states that this virtue aligns one with the Heavenly Spirit, echoing the great principles of old. This speaks to the eternal nature of God’s wisdom, which has always favored humility over pride, peace over conflict, and divine strength over human might. Colossians 1:11-12 encourages believers to seek endurance and patience through God’s power rather than through their own striving.
This is the secret behind every other line. Calm without anger, victory without fighting, humility, shared strength: none of it comes from gritting our teeth. It comes from the Holy Spirit living in us. Jesus promised it with the picture of a vine and its branches.
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5ESV
To be one with the Spirit is to let Him lead, moment by moment: in prayer, in the sacraments and in small daily choices. St. Paul says, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God” (Romans 8:14, NRSVue). The Spirit does not erase who we are; He makes us more fully the people God created.
And this is “the great principle of old.” It is not a new self-help trick. The prophets knew it, the Psalms sang it, and Jesus fulfilled it. God has always called His people back to the ancient path of humility and trust.
“Thus says the LORD: “Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls”…”
Jeremiah 6:16ESV
“This love (the “charity” of 1 Cor 13) is the source of the new life in Christ, made possible because we have received “power” from the Holy Spirit.”Catechism 735
“The Beatitudes are at the heart of Jesus’ preaching. They take up the promises made to the chosen people since Abraham.”Catechism 1716
Psalm 37 promised that “the meek will inherit the land.” Jesus takes up that old promise and makes it new: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5, NRSVue).
Some mornings you wake up already behind: a sick child, a deadline, a bill you forgot. By noon you are snapping at everyone. You know you should be patient, but you have nothing left. That is exactly when this line matters: “It is called being One with the Heavenly Spirit.” You were never meant to run on your own strength. A short prayer at the sink, a quick “Come, Holy Spirit” in the car, a moment before the Blessed Sacrament on the way home: these small openings let a strength that is not yours carry you through.
Try this today: Pray “Come, Holy Spirit” each time you start the car or open your laptop today.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
In essence, this chapter calls Christians to lead with humility, rejecting anger, violence, and contention. By trusting in God’s power and embracing a spirit of peace, believers reflect Christ’s example and align themselves with the eternal wisdom of God’s kingdom.
Chapter 68 is short, but it asks for a whole new way of being strong. It starts with what we put down: the sword, the sharp word, the need to win. Then it shows what we pick up: humility before others, gratitude for their gifts, and trust in the Spirit who works in us.
We will not live this perfectly. Some days the temper wins. But the Lord who told Peter to put away his sword also forgave Peter, restored him and made him a shepherd. Peace is not something we achieve once; it is a way we walk with Him, one choice at a time.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”
Matthew 5:9
“The family is the indispensable crucible in which spouses, parents and children, brothers and sisters, learn to communicate and to show generous concern for one another, and in which frictions and even conflicts have to be resolved not by force but by dialogue, respect, concern for the good of the other, mercy and forgiveness.”Pope Francis, Message for the World Day of Peace 2017
“In the Christian life, the Holy Spirit himself accomplishes his work by mobilizing the whole being, with all its sorrows, fears and sadness, as is visible in the Lord’s agony and passion. In Christ human feelings are able to reach their consummation in charity and divine beatitude.”Catechism 1769
Picture an ordinary day lived by Chapter 68. You let the slow driver merge. You answer your child’s attitude with a calm voice. At work you give credit to the coworker whose idea saved the project. In the group chat you skip the jab. At night you ask the Holy Spirit to forgive the moments you got it wrong. No one hands you a medal. But your home is a little more peaceful, your team trusts you a little more, and your own heart is quieter. That is humble leadership.
Try this today: Tonight, look back on your day and thank God for one moment you chose peace over a fight.
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 68 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind, and Chapter 68 starts with a surprise: “Great generals are not warlike.” The world tells us strength means winning every fight and never backing down. Jesus shows another kind of strength. When the soldiers came for Him in the garden, He told Peter, “Put your sword back in its place” (Matthew 26:52). He could have called on legions of angels, and He chose not to. A renewed mind learns that real strength does not need a fight to prove itself. It trusts the Father enough to stay at peace.
Then the chapter goes deeper: “Great warriors do not get angry.” Anger is quick, loud and sure of itself, but it rarely sees clearly. Psalm 37, the first verse this line points to, keeps saying “do not fret,” and then, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath” (Psalm 37:8). Proverbs agrees: “Better a patient person than a warrior.” So we let God reshape the way we think when we are provoked. Before the hot reply, we remember who is really in charge, and we let Him hold the outcome.
Try this: The next time you feel anger rising, silently pray “Refrain from anger” (Psalm 37:8) before you say a word.
Psalm 37:7-8NRSVue “Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices. Refrain from anger and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.”
Matthew 26:52NRSVue “Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword.””
More Scripture: Proverbs 16:32 · James 1:19-20
A renewed mind needs a goal, and Chapter 68 names a surprising one: “Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them.” Our aim is not to crush the person across from us. St. Paul reminds us that “our struggle is not against flesh and blood” (Ephesians 6:12). The real enemy is the evil that pulls people apart. So we aim to win hearts, not arguments. As Romans 12:21 says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” A kind answer can end a battle the loudest voice never could.
The chapter keeps aiming low: “Those who are good humble themselves before the people.” Jesus said, “whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant” (Matthew 20:26), and then He knelt to wash His friends’ feet. The line that follows widens the aim: “It is called the power to use the strength of others.” A humble leader does not try to do everything alone. Like Moses, whose tired arms were held up by Aaron and Hur, we aim to welcome the gifts God has placed in the people around us.
Try this: Today, aim to lift someone up instead of winning a point: thank a coworker, sibling or friend for a gift you see in them.
Romans 12:21NRSVue “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Matthew 20:26-28NRSVue “…but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave, just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.”
More Scripture: Ephesians 6:12 · Exodus 17:12
Renewal becomes real in daily habits. Chapter 68 says, “It is called the virtue of not contending.” Not contending does not mean we stop caring about what is true. It means we stop needing to win every round. St. Paul says, “Do everything without grumbling or arguing” (Philippians 2:14), and St. James asks where our fights really come from: “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1). So we practice small surrenders: letting the last word go, skipping the comment war, and trusting God with the result.
We cannot do this by willpower alone. The chapter calls it “being One with the Heavenly Spirit.” St. Paul prays that God “may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being” (Ephesians 3:16), and he reminds us that “the Spirit of God lives in you” (Romans 8:9). The calm we cannot make on our own, the Spirit gives. It is “the great principle of old,” as ancient as the Psalms and as new as this morning: “the meek will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:11). So we practice asking for His strength, again and again.
Try this: When you want to argue today, pause and pray, “Holy Spirit, strengthen me in my inner being,” then choose peace.
Ephesians 3:16-17NRSVue “I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith…”
Romans 8:11NRSVue “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.”
More Scripture: Colossians 1:11-12 · Psalm 37:11
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Put down the sword and the sharp reply, lead by kneeling low and lifting others up, and let the Holy Spirit be the quiet strength that wins without a 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 calms a heart, He sends it out to bring peace. Chapter 68 shows how: “Great generals are not warlike,” and “Those who are good humble themselves before the people.” Jesus did not win the world with a sword; He won it on His knees, washing feet, and on the Cross, praying for those who hurt Him. We go out the same way: no weapons, no winning streak to protect, just humble love and the strength of His Spirit.
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 68 shows why: in a world of outrage and constant arguing, people need fresh words that show the strength of a gentle heart.
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 68 calls it “being One with the Heavenly Spirit.” The fire that sends us out is His, not our own anger or our need to win.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 68 says “Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them,” so share the faith with kindness and good questions, not debates and comebacks.
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 68 speaks of “the power to use the strength of others.” Our tools work like that: they gather the gifts of many people, so no one has to carry the mission alone.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 68 says “Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them,” so share the faith with kindness and good questions, not debates and comebacks.
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 “Great warriors do not get angry,” when did someone’s calm answer change your mind more than an argument could?
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 68 speaks of “the power to use the strength of others.” Our tools work like that: they gather the gifts of many people, so no one has to carry the mission alone.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 68, Humble Leadership, helps anyone who leads a team or a family, or who struggles with a short temper.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 68 when someone is caught in a conflict, struggles with anger, or feels the weight of leading others). 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 stand up for what is right without getting angry or picking a fight?”
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 Agony in the Garden we stay with Jesus where He prayed and then told Peter to put away his sword, the clearest picture of Chapter 68’s “virtue of not contending.”
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. There, in Confession, the anger we could not put down is lifted, and at Mass we are invited to offer one another a sign of peace.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A moment to cool down and let the Spirit, not anger, lead the next hour.
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. Start where your temper is shortest; Chapter 68 says “Great warriors do not get angry,” and that battle begins in us.
- 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 a family argument starts, be the first to lower your voice, and share the line “Great warriors do not get angry.”
- 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.
- In a heated group chat, send a calm message instead of a comeback, and point friends to “the virtue of not contending.”
- 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 68, Humble Leadership.
- 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 68 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- Over coffee with a friend who leads a team, share how Jesus led by washing feet, the heart of “humble themselves before the people.”
- 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 a game day, when tempers flare over a bad call, stay calm and tell a friend that Chapter 68 says real warriors do not get angry.
- Host a Chapter 68 “Humble Leadership” 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: “Great warriors do not get angry.”
- 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.
- Every culture honors the leader who serves and the strong one who stays calm, a natural bridge to Jesus, who washed His friends’ feet.
- 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 be provoked. Someone will want a fight, online or at the dinner table. But Chapter 68 says “Those who are good defeat their opponent without engaging them,” and Jesus showed us how in the garden, with His hand off the sword and His heart fixed on the Father. Go gently. Go humbly. Go together. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, to win hearts with patience and to make peace where others make war.
Lord of gentle strength, 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.