Dear Brothers and Sisters:  

Over 100 years ago, as war raged on the mud-covered fields of northern France and Belgium, soldiers put down their guns and came together for a Christmas truce. I’m sure all of us know the story of the first Christmas truce that took place, but for those of you who have never heard about it, let me recap it for you.

As the men serving the forces of the various armies bunkered down into their trenches for the first Christmas of what was to be a long and bloody war, the men of both sides decided that as good Christians, Christmas was a time for peace, not for war. All up and down the Western Front, the English and the French, and then the Germans, tried to reach out to one another.

First, carols could be heard floating across No Man’s Land and Christmas trees poked up above the parapets. After a while, some of the bravest men made their way out onto the battlefield itself, scarred by shelling and covered in barbed wire, not to kill one another, but to shake hands. Men who had been doing nothing but killing one another for months now came together as brothers. The men bonded, showing one another photos of their families, tales from home, and promised to make contact when the war was over. Most famously, games of soccer started breaking out and the men enjoyed a Christmas sporting match together.

Sadly, the truce was then cut short by time itself, and the brave men were forced to fight one another once again. Many of them deliberately shot up in the air for days afterwards, doing their best not to hit one another.

Even though we are not going to war with one another, it feels like we have an even further divide than the men who faced one another across the battlefield. In many ways, this is true. The ordinary men of Europe were not fighting over a difference in values – they all shared the same Christian ones, and thus had something in common to bond over. What does it say about today that such a truce, a time of reconciliation and peace, seems impossible? It’s all we can do but to hope and pray that soon enough, Americans will once again come together as one nation, under God, and heal bitter wounds. If the men one hundred years ago can do it, so should we.

May this season of Christmas bring to each of you the peace that the Babe of Bethlehem wished to bring. May the things that divide us be struck down by the Christmas Star and the Light of Christ born for all people. Merry Christmas to you and yours! Blessings as we begin another year of grace in 2022!

In the Spirit of the Redeemer, 

Paul J. Borowski, C.Ss.R.