One translation of The Rule offers, “A wise old monk should be stationed at the gate of the monastery. He should know how to listen to people and also how to speak to them.”[1] The final specified role of the community is the Porter. Rather than focusing on the age suggested by this translation, consider the qualities of this important person. The Porter is the face of the community, the first person to greet visitors. The first person to see welcome guests as Christ. Perhaps of all roles in the community, the Porter represents the quintessential spirit of the entire community. The Porter and any other brother or sister who meets a guest answers that visitor’s question, “What is a monastic?”
The Porter embodies courtesy and unity described in Chapter 53. The Porter is responsive to greet the guest. The Porter is content with his, or her, station. He, or she, is mature is Monastic Spirituality.
In our dispersed community, the Porter is key to introducing the curious visitor and the serious aspirant to our Order. This greeting may be done face-to-face with the guest, or through other means of communication. Whatever the method, the heart of greeting is the same, to welcome guests as Christ Himself. So, when guest send inquiries to the community through emails, phone calls, or in person, they should be referred to the Porter to answer their questions, or to direct them to the appropriate resource. The Porter is the face of the Community.
[1]Terrence Kardong, Benedict, and Benedict, Benedicts Rule: A Translation and Commentary (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1996), 556.
