Jesus, known and unknown, Jesus revealed and concealed: many Gospel passages reflect on this paradox. Jesus went up to Jerusalem, in secret, concealed, not for all to see. Yet the people of Jerusalem saw Him, heard Him, and responded to His presence. Still their very response reveals the paradox. They thought they knew all about Jesus, and so they questioned whether He was the Messiah: no one was supposed to know the origin of the Messiah.

The paradox comes from the mystery of Jesus. A human being like all of us, except for sin, He was always conscious that His life had another over-riding reference point, something not visible to human eyes. The crowds that followed Jesus or listened to Him did not know the One who had sent Jesus, for knowing the Father is a matter of faith, not a matter of mere looking.

Moving through the days of Lent, we approach Easter, the moment when the paradox is resolved, when faith opens our eyes to the glory of Jesus. We pray for a deeper sense of the mystery of Jesus.