On the feast of Pentecost, Fr. Matthew Howell talks about how receiving the Holy Spirit depends upon our connection with Christ. He uses the example of a lamp and power outlet to talk about being in the light of Christ (John 8:12). He challenges folks to examine their "chord" for a bad connection if they feel like they are not receiving the fullness of grace or the fruit of the Holy Spirit. He offers encouragement to keep one's spiritual life simple, illustrating that point with a story about Fr. Constantine Nasr's use of the prayer "O Heavenly King..." in the aftermath of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. He finishes by quoting from The Lego Movie to disagree with the common mantra that some people are "spiritual but not religious."
