Faces of Easter

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.

Albert Holtz, OSB, is a monk of Newark Abbey in Newark, New Jersey, where he is the director of formation and teaches New Testament in the monastery's inner-city prep school. His frequent long walks on the streets of downtown Newark have made him familiar with the people and the scenes of his native city. He gives retreats to monasteries of men and women around the United States and has published several books of meditations, including Pilgrim Road: A Benedictine Journey Through Lent and From Holidays to Holy Days: A Benedictine Journey Through Advent and Christmas.