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It seems that he practiced the trade of carpenter, as St. Mark seems to indicate [6:3]: “Is not this, surely, the carpenter?” (Spiritual Exercises, 271) Words of St. Ignatius.
Commentary
Invisible to human eyes. Our Lord’s “hidden life” in Nazareth is the most splendid renunciation of a life of importance in the eyes of the world. The only thing extraordinary in these years is their religious value, which is visible only to the gaze of God. The source of perseverance and strength is hidden in what is invisible.
But how was it possible for the most excellent human “personality” that has ever existed to hide itself? Jesus’ merits go virtually unnoticed by others for thirty years. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these mighty works?” the people of Nazareth will ask (Matthew 13:54). For them, Jesus is the son of a common worker, like so many others. They know his parents.
To picture Jesus among his contemporaries is to consider the mystery of Christian humility. He…
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