Take a Benedictine walk through the season of Advent with Benedictine monk Albert Holtz. Join him on his daily outings as he heads out of his abbey and through the colorful, noisy streets of Downtown Newark, New Jersey. In these once-a-day meditations, Father Albert points out the often-unnoticed connections between our secular celebration of the holidays and the deeper, spiritual meaning of the holy seasons of Advent and Christmas.
In a string of colored lights, a crowd of shoppers, or the window of a toy shore, readers will uncover the traditional advent themes of watchful waiting, repentance, and selfless love. In the bustling sidewalks and busy malls, readers will learn to see Isaiah, John the Baptist, and even Jesus himself, all speaking their ancient messages of peace, hope and good will.
Albert Holtz, O.S.B., is a Benedictine monk of Newark Abbey, Newark, New Jersey, working in the monastery's inner-city prep school, where he teaches New Testament. He has served as master of novices for 25 years and as a retreat master for Benedictine communities around the United States. He is the author of Downtown Monks, From Holidays to Holy Days, and Walking in Valleys of Darkness.He lives in Newark, New Jersey.