A Box of Matches

On last night's homily, the priest was showing us a matchbox and told this story.

There was a matchbox where a lot of matchsticks lived. The matchsticks were all wondering what it's like in the outside because it was so dark in the matchbox. They become happy when the box opens because they see the light but they also know that it also means that one of them will be taken from them.

One day, one of the matchsticks (let's call him Matt) accidentally fell when the matchbox was open. So Matt saw what was being done to the matchsticks that were taken from the box.

One was used as a toothpick and Matt said to himself, "Oh, is that the only thing that we're used for?" He was disappointed.

Another one was used as a cottonbud to clean the ears. "Yuck!" Matt exclaimed in disgust. "Is that what we're used for?"

Then another was taken, scratched to the box and used to kindle a fire. Matt was amazed. "Our whole lives, we thought that the light was outside but we were wrong. We were waiting for the light but we did not know that it was already within us," he realized.

Upon that realization, a man found Matt lying on the floor and returned him back to the matchbox. There inside the box again, Matt told his fellow matchsticks the truth that he found out.

The light that we desperately search for is already within us.