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June 9, 2020 (LifeSiteNews) — Today on my podcast I wanted to talk about the spiritual response that is needed to the ongoing civil unrest in the United States following the tragic death of George Floyd.

My guest is Deacon Cody Miller, a deacon since 1988. Previously he was rock-n-roll musician and living as a self-described “heathen.” 

I wanted to know what he thinks Catholics should be do during these times and how they can respond to the mayhem raging around them. He emphasized the need for regular confession and to start living “the sacramental life” again. He also said prayer is essential.

“You have to do the amount of prayer [required] for your state in life…if we can pray that one rosary with sincerity, with faith, hope and love, the rosary can be the hinge point for us to gradually come back and get to where we can have a vibrant, sacramental life again through the church.”

One trend that has emerged during the rioting in the US is that people are now getting guns and preparing for the worst as if they themselves may be attacked. Deacon Cody told me, “when you do get attacked and you do get attacked for your values and for your faith, know that. That's an instant ticket to heaven and that God will somehow use the evil to bring about a greater good.”

He also said, “It's hard to see the sunshine when you're surrounded by clouds and doubt and fear. But what we have to do in our role is…always instill hope in people. We admit the problems, we admit what's happening. But we also present an answer to what's happening. Prayer, sacrifice, love, kindness, generosity, care for your brother, care for your neighbor. There really are no easy answers. It's just a lot of prayer and a lot of work [and] trust in God.”

I also asked Deacon Cody about sacrifice and how we are called to offer oursevles up to Christ.

“Fasting, not necessarily from food, but reparation, prayers, the rosary, doing stuff you don't like to do with a smile,” he said, is absolutely essential in these times. “What St. Louis de Monfort teaches you is how to benefit [from suffering].”

Deacon Cody concluded our conversation by saying that his own generation “screwed things up” but that he sees great hope in young people and in those who follow the spiritual wisdom of St. Louis de Montfort. I agree 100%.

Deacon Cody is a passionate supporter and devotee of St. Louis de Montfort. Last week on my podcast I spoke about the influence St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary had on my own life. You can watch it by clicking here.

“I was introduced to St Louis de Montfort by quite an accident. My life was changed forever,” he said.

I asked Deacon Cody how St. Louis de Montfort’s spiritual wisdom might help the United States during this period of chaos.

“When you live the total consecration and you live True Devotion to Mary, what happens is the Holy Ghost and Jesus and Mary anoint our everyday actions…it's like winning the spiritual lottery,” he said.

“When things are at its worst, that's when Jesus and Mary do their best.”

The John-Henry Westen Show is available by video on the show’s YouTube channel and right here on my LifeSite blog.

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John-Henry is the co-founder, CEO and editor-in-chief of LifeSiteNews.com. He and his wife Dianne have eight children and they live in the Ottawa Valley in Ontario, Canada.

He has spoken at conferences and retreats, and appeared on radio and television throughout the world. John-Henry founded the Rome Life Forum, an annual strategy meeting for life, faith and family leaders worldwide. He is a board member of the John Paul II Academy for Human Life and the Family. He is a consultant to Canada’s largest pro-life organization Campaign Life Coalition, and serves on the executive of the Ontario branch of the organization. He has run three times for political office in the province of Ontario representing the Family Coalition Party.

John-Henry earned an MA from the University of Toronto in School and Child Clinical Psychology and an Honours BA from York University in Psychology.