The Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, calls us to rejoice. This year, that call carried special meaning as it coincided with the first day of Hanukkah, a festival of light, perseverance, and hope. It should have been a shared moment of joy: candles kindled, hearts lifted, faith renewed.

Instead, that joy was darkened by the antisemitic attack in Sydney on December 14, 2025. And it was not an isolated moment, or one confined to a place far away. Even here in Toronto, Menorah lighting ceremonies were disrupted, reminding us that hatred knows no borders and distance does not diminish responsibility.

Acts of antisemitism strike not only their immediate victims, but the wider human family. They wound our shared dignity and remind us how fragile peace can be.

Advent teaches us to wait actively to choose light over darkness, even when darkness presses in. Hanukkah teaches the same truth: that even a small flame, faithfully tended, can push back the night.

Today, we stand in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters. We mourn, we pray, and we recommit ourselves to rejecting hatred in all its forms. Rejoicing, in times like these, is not denial, it is defiance. It is the quiet, faithful insistence that light will still prevail.