On a crisp clear morning over 100 years ago, in 1914,  thousands of British, Belgian and French soldiers, put down their rifles, stepped out of their trenches, and spent Chrismtas mingling with their German enemies along the western front.  In the hundred years since, this has been seen as a miracle, a rare moment of peace, just a few months into the war, that would eventually claim  over 15 million lives. Pope Benedict XV, who was elected Pope, that September, called for a christmas truce, an idea that was oficially rejected.  Yet it seems that the meer misery of daily life, in the cold, wet and dull trenches, was enough to motivate troops to initiate the truce on their own.  About 100,000 troops are believed to have particpated in the truce.  The truce began with carol singing from the trenches on Christmas Eve. It was a beautiful moonlihght night, frost on the ground, white almost everywhere, first the Germans would sing one of their carols, and then the Allies would sing one of theirs. When the Allies started singing “O come all ye faithtful” the Germans immediatly joined in singing the same hymn to the latin words ‘Adeste Fideles’. This was something extraordinary, two nations singing the same carol in the middle of the war. The next morning, German soldiers emerged from their trenches, calling out “merry Christmas” in english. Allied soldiers came out warily to greet them. Germans held up signs saying ”we no shoot, you no shoot”. Over the course of the day, troops exchanged gifts of cigarrettes, food, buttons and hats. The christmas truce also allowed both sides to finally bury their dead comrades, whose bodies had lain for weeks on “no man’s land”, the ground between opposing trenches. They also organised an impromptu soccer match between the Germans and the Allies.  ‘It was a short peace in a terrible war’, one veteran remarked later.  As the great war resumed, the result was 15 million lives being lost.  While there were occasional moments of peace throughout the rest of World War 1, there was never again a truce like this one in 1914. Over a century later, this truce has been remembered as a testament to the power of hope and humanity in a truly dark hour of history.We could ask oursleves: how this happened, how could the men find a friend in the men who were their enemies.  It was Chrismas day, they were celebrating the birthday of the Prince of peace.  It was Jesus himself, who touched their hearts, and helped them to change war into peace for a few hours.  Today we are celebrating the Third Sunday of Avent.  It is a joyful Sunday because the birth of Jesus is coming close.  In the gospel today the people ask John the Baptist, ‘what they must do to prepare for the coming of the Messiah’.  His answer was to be honest and to be kind.  As we have lit the third candle of our christmas wreath,  let us pray for the special grace to be really kind and honest;  in this way Jesus will touch our hearts,  the way he touched the hearts of those soldiers many years ago, turning war into peace for few hours.