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 7: Sacrificial Unity
The Heavens and Earth are everlasting 1
How can the Heavens and Earth last forever?
Because they do not exist for themselves
Thus they last forever
Therefore, the Son of God humbles Himself 2
And in His humility is exalted
He sacrificed His life for everyone 3
Yet His Spirit continues to live within us
Through acts of selfless love
This is how the Son of God fulfills His purpose
Heaven and Earth That Last
“The Heavens and Earth are everlasting
How can the Heavens and Earth last forever?”
Chapter 7 of the Christian edition of the Tao Te Ching, titled Unity in Sacrifice, offers a profound insight into the nature of lasting existence and divine purpose through the lens of humility and sacrifice. The chapter begins by observing that the Heavens and the Earth are everlasting because they do not exist for themselves, but for the benefit of all creation. This reflects the selfless nature of God, who created the world not for His own benefit, but for the flourishing of all beings. In Christian terms, this aligns with the self-giving nature of God, who in His perfect love, created the world to share in His goodness.
The chapter’s opening question is worth slowing down for: “How can the Heavens and Earth last forever?” Everything else we know wears out. Our bodies age, buildings crumble, and even great nations fade. Yet the sky and the ground seem to outlast every generation, as the wise teacher of Ecclesiastes noticed long ago.
“…and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever.”
Ecclesiastes 1:4ESV
Scripture also adds an important truth, and the chapter’s own footnotes point to it. The world as we know it, marked by sin, will not stay as it is. God does not throw His creation away; He makes it new. Isaiah and the Book of Revelation both promise “a new heaven and a new earth” (Revelation 21:1). What lasts is what belongs to God and does His will.
“And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God abide forever.”
1 John 2:17NRSVue
So when the chapter calls the Heavens and Earth “everlasting,” it points beyond the sky to God’s plan. In the end He will gather all things in Christ, and the creation that has given so much will share in His glory. The things that last forever are the things that are held in His hands.
“Sacred Scripture calls this mysterious renewal, which will transform humanity and the world, ‘new heavens and a new earth.’ It will be the definitive realization of God’s plan to bring under a single head ‘all things in [Christ], things in heaven and things on earth.’”Catechism 1043
“The visible universe, then, is itself destined to be transformed, ‘so that the world itself, restored to its original state, facing no further obstacles, should be at the service of the just,’ sharing their glorification in the risen Jesus Christ.”Catechism 1047
You buy a new phone, and before long it is slow and the battery dies. Clothes go out of style, apps disappear, and trends change every week. So much of what we chase is made to wear out. Then you step outside at night and see the same stars your great-grandparents saw. Chapter 7 asks, “How can the Heavens and Earth last forever?” It is a good question for your own life too. What are you building that will still matter when the phone is long gone? Only what is given to God and to others lasts.
Try this today: Step outside today, look up for a moment, and ask God: “What in my life is built to last?”
Not for Themselves
“Because they do not exist for themselves
Thus they last forever”
Here is the chapter’s answer: “Because they do not exist for themselves.” The sun does not keep its light. The rain does not choose whose field it waters. The earth gives food to saint and sinner alike. Jesus pointed to this very thing when He described His Father’s love.
“…for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.”
Matthew 5:45NRSVue
Creation does not give because it is forced to; it simply reflects its Creator. God is love, and everything He made carries a trace of His self-giving. We were made the same way. A life curled up around itself shrinks. A life opened up to God and to others grows.
That is why the chapter says, “Thus they last forever.” What does not live for itself is caught up into God’s own life, and His life has no end. St. Paul draws the line straight to the Cross: Christ died so that we would stop living for ourselves.
“And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.”
2 Corinthians 5:15NRSVue
“Life grows by being given away, and it weakens in isolation and comfort.”Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium 10
“The human person grows more, matures more and is sanctified more to the extent that he or she enters into relationships, going out from themselves to live in communion with God, with others and with all creatures.”Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ 240
You know the feeling after an afternoon of scrolling, shopping or comparing: strangely empty. And you know the other feeling, after you helped a friend move, sat with your grandmother or coached the kids’ team: tired, but full. That difference is Chapter 7 in your own life. The chapter says the Heavens and Earth last “because they do not exist for themselves.” The same is true of us. What we keep for ourselves fades fast. What we give away in love stays, and God makes it part of what lasts.
Try this today: Do one thing today purely for someone else’s good, and notice how you feel afterward.
The Son Who Humbles Himself
“Therefore, the Son of God humbles Himself
And in His humility is exalted”
The passage then moves to reflect on how the Son of God, Jesus Christ, humbles Himself in the same way, not seeking His own glory but sacrificing Himself for the benefit of others. This is the central theme of Philippians 2:5-11, where Paul describes how Christ, though in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped but emptied Himself, taking on the form of a servant and becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross. Through His humility, Jesus was exalted, not through power or force, but through His willingness to sacrifice His life for humanity. His death and resurrection are the ultimate demonstration of God’s love for the world, a love that continues to live in and through His followers.
The word “Therefore” links creation and Christ. What the sky and the earth show in a small way, Jesus shows perfectly. He is the eternal Son, equal to the Father, and He chose the lowest place. He was born in a stable, worked with His hands, ate with sinners and knelt to wash His friends’ feet.
“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
None of this was weakness. It was love choosing to come down to where we are, so that no one would ever be too low for Him to reach. And the chapter finishes the thought: “And in His humility is exalted.” Jesus did not grab for glory; He received it from the Father. He taught this as a law of His kingdom, and He lived it first.
“The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
Matthew 23:11-12NRSVue
“In all of his life Jesus presents himself as our model. He is ‘the perfect man’, who invites us to become his disciples and follow him. In humbling himself, he has given us an example to imitate…”Catechism 520
“In a hymn cited by St. Paul, the Church sings the mystery of the Incarnation: … being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross.”Catechism 461
Humility is not thinking little of yourself. It is seeing the truth: everything we have is a gift from God, and we are free to give it away.
At work, someone else gets credit for your idea. In the group chat, you feel the itch to prove you were right. At home, you want the last word. Pride is quiet, but it is everywhere, and it wears us out. Chapter 7 shows the Son of God going the other way: He “humbles Himself.” He did not need to win every argument or be noticed. He trusted the Father to lift Him up at the right time. You can let go of the scoreboard too. God sees, and He is the One who exalts.
Try this today: Today, let someone else have the last word, or give someone else the credit, and offer it quietly to Jesus.
Given for Everyone
“He sacrificed His life for everyone”
The idea of sacrifice is central to Christian theology, as exemplified by Jesus’s own words in John 15:12-13, where He tells His disciples, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” Jesus’s self-sacrifice serves as the ultimate act of love, fulfilling His purpose to redeem humanity. Through His death, He conquered sin and death, and His Spirit continues to dwell in believers, guiding them to live lives of selfless love and service.
Jesus was not a victim caught in bad luck. He gave His life freely, out of love. He said that no one takes it from Him; He lays it down of His own accord (John 10:18). On the night before He died, He prayed, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you” (John 17:1). His glory was the Cross: love poured out to the very end.
Notice the word “everyone.” Christ did not die for a small club of good people. He died for the friends who ran away, the soldiers who mocked Him and the crowd who shouted for His death. He died for you, and for the person you find hardest to love.
“but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Romans 5:8ESV
A love like that does not leave us as spectators. Once we know what He has done for us, it becomes the pattern for how we treat others. We will rarely be asked to die for someone, but we are asked every day to lay down our time, our pride and our comfort.
“By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers.”
1 John 3:16ESV
“By giving up his own Son for our sins, God manifests that his plan for us is one of benevolent love, prior to any merit on our part: “In this is love, not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the expiation for our sins.” God “shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us.””Catechism 604
“His death on the Cross is the culmination of that turning of God against himself in which he gives himself in order to raise man up and save him. This is love in its most radical form.”Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est 12
Maybe you carry something you think is too big for God to forgive. Maybe you are sure you are the exception, the one person Jesus could not really love. Or maybe there is someone you are sure God has given up on: an ex, a relative, a coworker who makes life hard. Chapter 7 leaves no room for exceptions: “He sacrificed His life for everyone.” Everyone. That includes the face you see in the mirror, and it includes the person you would rather avoid.
Try this today: Pray by name today for one person you find hard to love, and thank Jesus that He died for them and for you.
His Spirit Lives Within Us
“Yet His Spirit continues to live within us”
Just as the Heavens and the Earth remain eternal because they exist for others, so too does Christ’s sacrifice grant Him eternal significance. His Spirit, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; 14:26), empowers believers to live in unity with God and with one another. Through acts of love, Christians are called to participate in this divine purpose, embodying the humility and selflessness that characterize Christ’s life and mission.
The story does not end at the tomb. Jesus rose from the dead, returned to the Father and poured out the Holy Spirit, just as He had promised. That is one of the most amazing truths of our faith: the Spirit of the risen Jesus lives in every baptized Christian. We do not remember Him like a figure from a history book. He is present, alive in us.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20ESV
This is where the “unity” of the chapter’s title comes from. One Spirit lives in many people, so believers who have never met are joined as one body. His sacrifice did not scatter us; it gathered us into one family. The person in the next pew, the stranger in another country and you share the same Spirit, and He is the bond between you.
“For in the one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”
1 Corinthians 12:13NRSVue
“‘God is Love’ and love is his first gift, containing all others. ‘God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.’”Catechism 733
“…Christians have become the temple of the Holy Spirit. This ‘Spirit of the Son’ teaches them to pray to the Father and, having become their life, prompts them to act so as to bear ‘the fruit of the Spirit’ by charity in action.”Catechism 1695
Some days you feel like you are running on empty. The kids need you, work needs you, your aging parent needs you, and there is nothing left. It is easy to think being a good Christian means trying harder. Chapter 7 offers something better: “Yet His Spirit continues to live within us.” You are not the source; you are the channel. Before the next demand, take one breath and ask the Holy Spirit to love through you. He has more patience than you do, and He is already there.
Try this today: Each time you walk through a doorway today, whisper, “Holy Spirit, live in me here.”
How the Son Fulfills His Purpose
“Through acts of selfless love
This is how the Son of God fulfills His purpose”
Where can we see the Spirit of Jesus today? The chapter answers: “Through acts of selfless love.” Not only in church or in big moments, but in the ordinary places where someone puts another person first. Jesus Himself made this the mark of His followers.
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
John 13:34-35ESV
Then the chapter closes: “This is how the Son of God fulfills His purpose.” Jesus came to do the Father’s will and finish His work (John 4:34). On the Cross He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). Yet His work goes on, because He keeps loving the world through the people His Spirit fills.
So every act of selfless love becomes part of His mission. When we give without counting the cost, Christ is not only an example we copy; He is the One acting in us. Our small sacrifices are joined to His great one, and through them people meet His love. St. John puts it beautifully.
“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.”
1 John 4:12ESV
“Jesus makes charity the new commandment. By loving his own ‘to the end,’ he makes manifest the Father’s love which he receives. By loving one another, the disciples imitate the love of Jesus which they themselves receive.”Catechism 1823
“He who believes in Christ becomes a son of God. This filial adoption transforms him by giving him the ability to follow the example of Christ. It makes him capable of acting rightly and doing good. In union with his Savior, the disciple attains the perfection of charity which is holiness.”Catechism 1709
Selfless love rarely looks impressive. It looks like a dad who skips his game to help with homework. A nurse who stays a few extra minutes with a scared patient. A teenager who sits with the new kid at lunch. A friend who answers the late-night call. None of it trends online. But Chapter 7 says this is exactly “how the Son of God fulfills His purpose.” When you love like this, you are not just being nice. Jesus is at work through you, right now, in your ordinary day.
Try this today: Do one act of love today that costs you something, like time, comfort or convenience, and do it quietly for Jesus.
Living the Chapter
The whole chapter, put into practice
Therefore, the Christian interpretation of this chapter emphasizes that true greatness, like the eternal Heavens and Earth, is found not in self-interest but in self-sacrifice for the good of others. In following the example of Christ, believers are called to live lives of humble service, knowing that it is in sacrifice, not selfishness, that God’s eternal purposes are fulfilled. By living in unity with Christ’s Spirit, believers are made partakers of His eternal life and love.
Chapter 7 gives us a simple test for everything we do: am I living for myself, or am I giving myself away? The Heavens and Earth last because they give. The Son of God is exalted because He humbled Himself. His life goes on in us because He laid it down for everyone.
So we live the chapter in small, steady ways. We start the day asking whom we can serve. We let go of needing credit. We pray for the people we find hard to love. And we trust the Spirit within us to turn ordinary moments into acts of selfless love that share in Christ’s own purpose.
“And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”
Ephesians 5:2ESV
“Love is indeed ‘ecstasy’, not in the sense of a moment of intoxication, but rather as a journey, an ongoing exodus out of the closed inward-looking self towards its liberation through self-giving, and thus towards authentic self-discovery and indeed the discovery of God…”Pope Benedict XVI, Deus Caritas Est 6
“There is a certain resemblance between the union of the divine persons and the fraternity that men are to establish among themselves in truth and love. Love of neighbor is inseparable from love for God.”Catechism 1878
This is the unity in the chapter’s title: when we give ourselves in love, we are drawn closer to God and to one another.
Picture your family, your team at work, your parish, your circle of friends. Most tension comes from everyone protecting their own space, time and pride. Now picture the same people with each one looking out for the others first. That is not a fantasy; it is what Chapter 7 calls sacrificial unity. It starts with one person, and it can start with you. Make the coffee, hold the door, apologize first, give the hour. Love given like this does not run out. It is the life that lasts.
Try this today: Choose one group you belong to, and do one quiet act this week that puts the others first.
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 7 and an area of your life, and get Guidance made for you.
Renewal starts in the mind. Chapter 7 opens with a question: “How can the Heavens and Earth last forever?” Its answer is surprising: “Because they do not exist for themselves.” The sun warms everyone, the rain falls on every field, and the ground feeds people who never say thank you. Creation keeps giving, and it keeps going. Our world tells us the opposite: look after yourself first. But God made us in His image, and His love is pure gift. So we let His love reset the question we ask each morning, from “What do I get?” to “Who can I give to?”
St. Paul puts it plainly: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or empty conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3, NRSVue). This does not mean thinking badly of ourselves; it means making room for others. A mind shaped by God’s love is set free from the tiring work of always protecting its own image. And the chapter promises that what does not live for itself does not wear out: “Thus they last forever.” Love given away does not run dry; it becomes part of what God keeps forever.
Try this: Before you open your phone tomorrow morning, ask God, “Who can I give to today?” and let the first name that comes to mind be your plan.
Philippians 2:3-4NRSVue “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.”
2 Corinthians 5:15NRSVue “And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for the one who for their sake died and was raised.”
More Scripture: Romans 14:7 · Matthew 5:45
A renewed mind needs a direction, and Chapter 7 points straight to Jesus: “Therefore, the Son of God humbles Himself.” Everything in us wants to climb. Jesus went the other way. He left heaven’s glory, was born in a stable, washed His friends’ feet and died on a cross, and the line goes on: “And in His humility is exalted.” He told His disciples, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11, NRSVue). So we aim at Him, not at the top of the ladder. In God’s kingdom, the way up is the way down in love.
The chapter goes further: “He sacrificed His life for everyone.” Not only for the deserving, not only for the people who liked Him, but for everyone, even those who drove in the nails. St. Paul says, “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). When we aim at Jesus, our circle gets wider. We stop keeping lists of who has earned our kindness. We trust the Son, who gave Himself for all, to show us how to give ourselves too, one small offering at a time.
Try this: Pick one task today that nobody will thank you for, and do it for Jesus, who chose the lowest place for you.
Philippians 2:8-9NRSVue “he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death— even death on a cross. Therefore God exalted him even more highly and gave him the name that is above every other name”
Matthew 23:11-12NRSVue “The greatest among you will be your servant. All who exalt themselves will be humbled, and all who humble themselves will be exalted.”
More Scripture: Romans 5:8 · Luke 22:27
Renewal becomes real in daily life, and Chapter 7 shows how: “Yet His Spirit continues to live within us.” Jesus promised He would not leave us alone. The Father would send “another advocate to help you and be with you forever” (John 14:16). The same Spirit who filled Jesus now lives in every baptized heart. We are not trying to copy a hero from long ago by willpower. The One who gave Himself on the Cross gives us His own Spirit, so His love can keep moving through ordinary people like us.
The chapter tells us where that Spirit shows up: “Through acts of selfless love.” Not mainly in big feelings, but in the dishes done without being asked, the patient reply in a tense group chat, the visit to a lonely neighbor, the hour given to someone who cannot pay you back. Each act like that is Christ still at work. And the chapter ends, “This is how the Son of God fulfills His purpose.” When we love like this, His purpose is being fulfilled through us, right where we live.
Try this: Ask the Holy Spirit each morning for one chance to love without being thanked, then watch for it and say yes when it comes.
John 14:16-17NRSVue “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you.”
John 15:12-13NRSVue “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
More Scripture: Galatians 2:20 · 1 John 4:12
In short: think humbly, aim at what is eternal, live by the Spirit. Like the Heavens and Earth that do not exist for themselves, let God’s love turn you outward, follow the Son who humbled Himself for everyone, and let His Spirit live in you through acts of selfless love.
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. Chapter 7 shows why: the Heavens and Earth last because “they do not exist for themselves,” and the Son of God “sacrificed His life for everyone.” A faith kept only for ourselves misses the point of the chapter. The love that saved you was never meant to stop with you; His Spirit lives within us so it can reach everyone.
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 7 shows why: a world that says “look out for number one” needs fresh words for a Savior who “sacrificed His life for everyone.”
Ardor is the fire of a heart that has been loved by God. People feel it before they hear a single word. Chapter 7 says, “Yet His Spirit continues to live within us.” The fire is not something we work up on our own; it is the Spirit of Jesus already living inside.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 7 says the Son of God “humbles Himself,” so share the faith with humility: listen first, serve first, and speak gently.
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 7 says the Son “sacrificed His life for everyone.” Our tools are made in that spirit: for everyone, to bring His love to people right where they are.
Use the words people use today: simple, honest and personal. Share your story, not a lecture. Chapter 7 says the Son of God “humbles Himself,” so share the faith with humility: listen first, serve first, and speak gently.
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 “acts of selfless love,” who gave something up for you, and how did it show you 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 7 says the Son “sacrificed His life for everyone.” Our tools are made in that spirit: for everyone, to bring His love to people right where they are.
Every chapter has its own song and is written in a language people of every faith can understand. A doorway for dialogue. Chapter 7, Sacrificial Unity, helps anyone worn out from living for themselves, or wondering whether their quiet sacrifices really matter.
A friend shares a struggle. Together, pick a chapter and an area of life (start with Chapter 7 when someone feels drained from always giving, or stuck in a life that revolves around themselves). 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: “What does it mean that Jesus sacrificed His life for everyone, even me?”
Pray the Rosary with a guided voice, the daily mysteries and beads that follow along. Pray it with someone, even over the phone. The Sorrowful Mysteries walk with Jesus as He “sacrificed His life for everyone,” and the Glorious Mysteries show the Son who “in His humility is exalted.”
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. At every Mass the one sacrifice of Jesus, who “sacrificed His life for everyone,” is made present, and He gives Himself to us again.
Morning, midday and evening prayer reminders, a daily streak and a steady prayer rhythm help a new believer keep going. A daily rhythm of prayer keeps us open to the Spirit who “continues to live within us.”
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 7 says Jesus “sacrificed His life for everyone,” so there is no one around you He did not die for.
- 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 7 at dinner and ask: “Who did something selfless for you today, and what can we do for someone tomorrow?”
- 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: “He sacrificed His life for everyone.”
- 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 7, Sacrificial Unity.
- 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 7 song.
- Ask good questions and really listen.
- Share your three-part story.
- Open Ask BFG together when a question comes up.
- When a friend feels used up from caring for others, share the line “Yet His Spirit continues to live within us,” and remind them they do not give alone.
- 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 coffee shop, pay for the next person’s coffee, and if they ask why, share that Chapter 7 calls us to “acts of selfless love.”
- Host a Chapter 7 “Sacrificial Unity” 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: “He sacrificed His life for everyone. Yet His Spirit continues to live within us.”
- 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 parent, the friend or the hero who gives everything for others, a natural bridge to the Son of God who “sacrificed His life for everyone.”
- 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 tempted to keep your time, your comfort and your faith to yourself. Chapter 7 shows another way: the Son of God “humbles Himself,” gives His life “for everyone,” and lives on in us “through acts of selfless love.” Go humbly. Go generously. Go together. The same Spirit who renewed you now sends you, to love as Jesus loved and to let His purpose be fulfilled through you.
Lord Jesus, who humbled Yourself and gave Your life for everyone, Holy Spirit, set my heart on fire. Jesus, send me to the one You love. Father, make me Your witness today. Amen.
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