Memorial of St. John Neumann, Bishop
One of the frequent questions I encountered as a priest among the faithful was about what Jesus was doing before his public ministry, or why the Bible says nothing about Jesus' childhood. Christian tradition and theological reflection characterize these years as the hidden life of Christ, which is the long period between Jesus' childhood and the start of his public ministry, during which he lived a quiet, ordinary life in Nazareth. The hidden life is marked by several traits. First, the ordinary labor in which Jesus spent decades in manual labor, likely learning and practicing the trade from St. Joseph. Second, domestic Obedience, in which Jesus lived a life of submission and obedience to Mary and Joseph. Third, devout religious practice; as a faithful Jew, Jesus participated in synagogue life and learned the Hebrew scriptures. By living an ordinary life, Jesus showed that mundane tasks—work, family chores, and community life—are holy and can be a means of encountering God. These years also serve as a model for the necessity of formation before his public ministry. The "hiddenness" of Jesus also suggests that He is present even in the routine and overlooked aspects of human life.
In today's Gospel reading, we already jumped into Jesus' public ministry, which raises another frequent question: how long did Jesus really minister publicly? Some say that he preached for two and a half years, as from epiphany to Passover is reckoned as half a year, and then plus two other Passovers before the crucifixion. But a different perspective holds that three miracles were worked on the day of epiphany, namely the adoration of the magi, the baptism, and the changing of water into wine. Therefore, it can be inferred that the period from the baptism to the conversion of water into wine was one year. Thus, Christ preached for three years, because it was one year to the miracle of the wine; and from there to the Passover was another; from the purification to the passion was another.
Regardless of the timing of Jesus' Ministry and the nature of hidden life, Jesus is really the Word that became flesh and dwelt among us. He is present among us as fully divine and fully human. Jesus' presence among us signifies an intimate relationship with God that is not always visible to the outside world.