When Jesus began his public ministry of preaching and healing, John the Baptist had already been arrested, putting an end to his movement of religious revival. At that point, instead of going back to Nazareth (i.e. instead of going home) , Jesus went to Capernaum. This marked a new beginning, whose purpose is described in a verse of prophecy: “The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and for those who lived in the land of the shadow of death, light has dawned.”
The First Public Session of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of Fr Gaetano Nicosia SDB took place on January 17, 2026, in the Church Our Lady of Sorrows, Ka Ho, Coloane. The session was presided over by the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Macao Msgr. Stephen Lee, who explained the path of the process toward the beatification of the Salesian missionary in Macau. Fr. Nicosia was a professed priest of the Salesian Society of St. John Bosco, a missionary in China, and an apostle to leprosy patients. The session was a significant step in the process, inviting those interested faithful to provide documented and truthful information or testimonies for the better understanding of Fr. Gaetano’s ‘s life and work
This imagery shows that God’s salvation is a painful process of purification, unlike the nationalist fanaticism of false prophets (Micah 3:11). In the midst of suffering, Israel is called to trust in the Lord. This trial may refer to the destruction of Judah’s cities and the siege of Jerusalem by the Assyrian king Sennacherib in 701 B.C. (cf. 2 Kings 18:13–19:37).
During the Mass celebrated on January 14th in the city of Santa Rosa, on the occasion of the 168th visit of the Divine Shepherdess, one of the most important religious figures in Venezuela, Archbishop Polito Rodríguez Mendez stated the following: “We are called to rebuild a society in which we all participate. The Jubilee Year has ended, but hope has not; on the contrary, it remains alive in our hearts.”
The local Couples for Christ community commemorated its 25th anniversary in December. The milestone highlighted over two decades of dedicated service to family renewal, evangelization and outreach to the poor, underscoring the group’s ongoing mission in Macau.