“This is my favorite level!” a young dad said, smiling, turning to us at a recent Trinity House Gathering at a nearby parish. That night’s session was focused on Level 5, Hospitality & Service, in which we share our family’s communion, our taste of heaven.  
 
Truth be told though, many of us struggle with this level. Yes, we may acknowledge that our outward-facing service is the “crown” of our Trinity House. We may grasp that God’s extravagant abundance is “for the taking” if we but open our hands, our doors, and our schedules. We may even know that every time we host or serve, we are better for it.
 
But then our busy schedules hit. Work. Stress. Little League games. Illness. Exhaustion. And another week goes by with our family essentially looking after itself—not having a moment for others. In some seasons of struggle and difficulty, this state is truly unavoidable. At other times, we just let it happen.
 
For the seasons when we could do more for others, maybe we should try to hear the words of Jesus in a new way. As he said, “You will know them by their fruits… Just so, every sound tree bears good fruit…” (Mt. 7:16-17).
 
Step back for a moment. In your imagination, walk out your front door, cross the street, and look at your home from a distance. There it is, the place God has called you to: bustling with life, demands, long lists of tasks, aspirations, fears, hopes and struggles.

If you can imagine yourself as one of your neighbors, looking at your house, what kind of fruit would they notice? Is it a closed-off fortress, guarded, unfamiliar and unknown? Or is it an attractive, welcoming, peaceful place where others—though they may not agree with your faith—at least get a glimpse of how you live?     
 
St. Mother Teresa famously said, “The fruit of silence is prayer, the fruit of prayer is faith, the fruit of faith is love, the fruit of love is service and the fruit of service is peace.” This inspiring quote can even be read as a miniature aid to reflecting on the fruit of your Trinity House.

Is your Faith Life imbued with silence and prayer? Does it grow into greater love in Person & Relationships? Is this love leading your family to serve one another in Household Economy and those outside the family in Hospitality & Service?Along the way, is your Family Culture marked by faith, love, and peace?
 
In the week ahead, try one or more of these practical exercises as a way to lead your family more fully toward the crowning of your Trinity House: 

• Invite the Holy Spirit into a time of prayer and reflection on your family’s life of Hospitality & Service.
• Prayerfully imagine viewing your home from across the street, from your neighbor’s perspective. What do they see? What fruit is evident? Are there dead branches that you arguably should cut? Are there promising buds that you might cultivate?
• Ask the Lord in prayer to nourish the foundations—silence, prayer and love—of your family’s life of service.

The young dad who remarked that this is his favorite level is an inspiration. Because the communion our families receive is not meant to stay with us, as if stranded on an island, apart from the world. God’s abundance and the Great Commission of Our Savior call us into our friendships, neighborhoods and communities. And in this outward flow, the peace we all long for finally arrives.