With the outbreak of World War I, and the incredible loss of life with no end seemingly in sight, as Christmas approached in 1914 it seemed there was very little to hope for.
Yet deep down, there was also an understanding that this was not how things were meant to be. And so occurred the “Christmas truce.”
On Christmas Eve, 1914, German troops began decorating the area around their trenches. They placed candles on them and on the trees, and started singing Christmas carols to each other. Not to be outdone the British responded by singing carols of their own. The two sides continued to greet each other. Not too long after this, some troops started entering the “No Man’s Land,” where no one ventured because of the trench warfare out of fear of being instantly gunned down. But one by one, the soldiers came out, and exchanged small gifts, including food, tobacco, alcohol and hats and buttons. There was no artillery that night. This upset the top brass; a British general was irate and issued strict orders there was to be no association with the enemy. But that didn’t stop the troops from making it happen. One soldier wrote to his mother: “After breakfast we had a game of football at the back of our trenches! We’ve had a few Germans over to see us this morning. They also sent a party over to bury a sniper we shot in the week … About 10.30 we had a short church parade the morning service etc. held in the trench … Our dinner party started off with fried bacon and dip-bread: followed by hot Xmas Pudding. I had a mascot in my piece. Next item on the menu was muscatels and almonds, oranges, bananas, chocolate etc. followed by cocoa and smokes. Just before dinner I had the pleasure of shaking hands with several Germans … I exchanged one of my balaclavas for a hat. I’ve also got a button off one of their tunics. We also exchanged smokes etc. and had a decent chat. They say they won’t fire tomorrow if we don’t so I suppose we shall get a bit of a holiday – perhaps … We can hardly believe that we’ve been firing at them … it all seems so strange.” In the midst of a horrific war, two sides that had been going after one another in fierce battle decided to stop and share the common bond that they had as Christians, and nothing was going to get in the way. The joy and peace of Christmas broke through the darkness.
This week, our Advent wreath is fully lit, symbolizing how Christmas is closer and the light of Jesus coming closer. So in the midst of a life that can be like trench warfare at times, how can we see the light of Gods love and also bring it to one another?
In terms of the light in our darkness, daily we can strive to see God through finding Him; by making Mass a priority as a time where we can re-connect to God; by finding time for prayer and meditation; by finding time for silence; or by looking at the manger scene in your home or the crucifix on your wall and remembering even if you were the only person in the world, Jesus still would have come into this world just for you.
And with that, we all face tough situations in the world. Darkness and be difficult. People suffer in silence; sometimes through self-inflicted wounds or things out of their control. It can be easy to ignore people, or tear one another down, but just opening our eyes we can bring such joy and light to one another. A conversation. A phone call. Time spent together as a family. A compliment. Listening to someone and showing empathy. Or reaching out to forgive.
It was said that the English troops first saw a Christmas tree when a German soldier brought one out into No Man’s Land; now we have them in our homes, the lights bringing brightness at a dark time of year. When we feel as if we’re in the trenches of life, may our eyes be open to seeing the presence of Jesus who comes to us too, giving us the courage to bring His light to one another.
Have a blessed week!
Fr. Paul
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December 21, 2025