Rather than criticizing trappings of the holiday season, this book looks at them from the viewpoint of Christian contemplation, once aptly described as a long, loving look at the real. The author, a Benedictine monk who lives in the center of downtown Newark, New Jersey, invites the reader to join him on his daily walks as he points out dozens of often-unnoticed connections between our holidays and the spiritual meaning of Advent and Christmas. In a string of colored lights, a crowd of shoppers, or the window of a toy store, he uncovers such traditional Advent themes as watchful waiting, repentance, and selfless love. On the bustling sidewalks, he introduces us to Isaiah, John the Baptist, and Jesus himself, all speaking their ancient Advent and Christmas messages of peace and hope and good will.

In the view of St. Benedict of Nursia, the Lenten journey is an inner pilgrimage with Christ into the deepest parts of ourselves, to be marked not so much by external observances, such as fasting and self-denial, as by a deepening of our relationship with God. Benedictine monk Albert Holtz develops that journey theme through meditations written during a fifteen-country pilgrimage while on sabbatical. At the heart of each reflection is the lesson it teaches about our inner spiritual journey. By applying Benedict s monastic wisdom to the everyday concerns and aspirations of modern Christians, Pilgrim Road helps contemporary spiritual seekers travel along and experience the journey of Lent in the most positive, meaningful, and fruitful manner. Revised edition of a classic Lenten devotional guide from Morehouse Includes a revised introduction and questions for reflection "

Downtown Monks, originally published in 2000, was the first book by Albert Holtz and tells the story of the challenges facing a community of Benedictine monks in their ministry of running a boys school amid the gritty realities of inner-city life in Newark, New Jersey. Father Holtz s story remains an inspiration for readers and also serves as a model for Christian living and discernment using Benedictine disciplines."

How do we deal with and attempt to understand God's presence and overarching love for us when life goes wrong, when we encounter difficulties and tragedies?

This noted Benedictine monk and priest shares his personal journeys through troubled times, using the discipline of meditating on single words of Scripture from the New Testament. He skilfully translates from Greek to English to reveal these "buried treasures" with multiple nuances of meaning that give light along difficult paths in life.

Meditations are followed by questions for reflection, further examples from Scripture, and a quote from the Rule of Saint Benedict to aid the reader.

Using vignettes set in or near his monastery in downtown Newark, New Jersey, Benedictine monk Albert Holtz helps us to see that the Easter mystery, which can often seem abstract and distant, is in fact present all around us. As we accompany him through the fifty days of the Easter season, we listen in on his intriguing interactions with local street people and his inner-city high school students-an insider's look at what goes on in a monk's heart as he chants Vespers to the sound of police sirens. Anyone wishing to deepen his or her experience of the Easter mystery will find this a valuable and engaging book.