Questions answered this episode: I’ve been fighting the good fight for chastity and I was managing well but it’s become much more difficult now that I have a girlfriend. Do you recommend I break up with her? If we are freed from original sin at our baptism, why do we still experience labor pains? What is the role of beauty in the life of a Christian? How can beauty help me deepen my relationship with God? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President ...
Dec 02, 2024•41 min
Questions answered this episode: I’m familiar with what the TOB teaches about the marital embrace and the mutual self giving that occurs there. It’s difficult to understand this in my heart. Prior to marriage I experienced multiple episodes of sexual abuse. I engage in relations with my husband to be a gift to him. I know it is important to love him in that way. However, in my heart it doesn’t feel like a gift to me. It’s only a reminder of how my body has been used by other people. When people ...
Nov 25, 2024•45 min
Questions answered this episode: I’m a 21 year old college student. I’m struggling to make peace with my girlfriend’s sexual past. I’ve experienced healing but remain very wounded. My girlfriend repents of her past but has also lied to me about some of the details she has shared. Some of those details I find deeply troubling. On the one hand, I understand we should show mercy, embrace the wounds of those we love and remind them that they are not defined by their mistakes. On the other hand, I ca...
Nov 18, 2024•52 min
My girlfriend and I have been dating for almost 2 years now. She’s in her second year of medical school. We both desire a chaste relationship. We both have a good understanding of the TOB but also fail to live it at times. Now that we've started to talk about marriage, sometimes she feels like she’s ready but there are also times when she shares that she thinks she doesn't want to have children and to get married. Do you have any insights? I've been married for 19 years. My husband and I have fo...
Nov 11, 2024•41 min
Questions answered this episode: What role does lingerie have in the intimate union of man & wife? Can it be a beautiful & holy part of the marital embrace? If so, how? My wife and I have had our first baby recently and along with that blessing there have been some difficult changes for our early 20’s. My wife is struggling with body image issues. Unfortunately she has severe stretch marks across her abdomen as a result of the pregnancy. Acquaintances have made her feel bad about herself...
Nov 04, 2024•40 min
Questions answered this episode: My fiancé shared more with me about his past and surprisingly I was calm and received him with mercy. I’m not sure if it was the initial shock of hearing him share these vulnerable moments of his past or because I had previously wondered and assumed there was some sexual brokenness there. I thank God for my response and hope that my fiancé seeing me receive him with mercy brings more healing. I know in the past when he shared difficult things with me I initially ...
Oct 28, 2024•48 min
Questions answered this episode: Is there a particular theological significance of Eve being created from a rib out of Adam’s side? My boyfriend enjoys watching videos & movies that fall into the comedy category, which is not my favorite genre. This is not something I enjoy. There are times when I find these movies painful to my heart because of the content they have. Am I just being too uptight? Should I try to be more open? A few years ago, before I was Catholic, I got to a place that was ...
Oct 22, 2024•45 min
Questions answered this episode: What is a good elevator pitch for the Theology of the Body? I became pregnant at 17. With the help of my parents and a pregnancy resource center, my son and I have been able to have a very happy life. He’s now 2 and I’m about to turn 20. I’m not with the father of my child. He sees his son from time to time but I’m the one who cares for him. I’m okay with this, but I just don’t know when or how would be the right way to start dating again. I’ve been single since ...
Oct 15, 2024•54 min
Questions answered this episode: When JPII talks about using another person as a means to an end I always imagine a couple but what happens in the case of a single person who seeks to give pleasure to him or herself? Is the person using him or herself? To what extend does that affect the person or others? Why does this sin leaves a feeling of loneliness? How do I make steps to open those places to the Lord and to know that He’s not repulsed by what will come out and not ashamed of me because of ...
Oct 07, 2024•46 min
Questions answered this episode: What is one way each of you has grown since you got married and what was that growing process like? What your number one tip for people when discerning a future spouse? What is the experience of writing a book like for you? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic fait...
Sep 30, 2024•44 min
Questions answered this episode: I’m part of a conservative Catholic group on Facebook. I was surprised to find that many Catholics there believe NFP is contraceptive except in the gravest circumstances. When I questioned this philosophy, they said that the fact that God gave them each of their many children is that it would've been sinful if they had abstained during those fertile times. This didn’t sit right with me. I've always felt that NFP gave me and my husband a profound respect for my bo...
Sep 23, 2024•57 min
Questions answered this episode: How can I bring Jesus into the marital embrace without envisioning him sexually and in a pure and holy way? I’ve been struggling to find my wife attractive. Am I justified expecting my wife to shape up for looks’ sake or even for health’s sake? How much of this is the impact that porn has had on me and my perception of beauty? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy sha...
Sep 16, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Questions answered this episode: How can we love Jesus on earth when he doesn’t have a body? How can prayer feel more like a full relationship and not just long distance communication I was homeschooled and raised in a close knit immediate family. We never spent much time with relatives or friends and my parents always sought to solely invest in each other and their children. On the other hand, my husband was raised in a large family where relatives and friendships were very important and he sti...
Sep 09, 2024•51 min
Questions answered this episode: What does JPII mean when he talks about Ordinary Mysticism? What would your answer be to when people ask “are you done having kids?” Is there a preferred method when buying books from Catholic authors? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in light of Joh...
Sep 02, 2024•40 min
Questions answered this episode: I’ve heard Christoper say many times “Christian know thyself” and thought I knew what it meant but have been searching for the quote and can’t seem to find it. Where does this quote come from and what does it mean? How do you respond to the arguments about how homosexuality, masturbation and pedophilia are natural because animals do it? I’ve heard you mention that when a christian prays, he’s seeking nuptial union with Christ. How can we position our hearts to le...
Aug 26, 2024•58 min
Questions answered this episode: How can I show my nieces and nephews my true delight in them and help them feel truly loved and desired in the way that I never felt growing up? I would like to prepare my husband’s body for burial after death. I think I misunderstood the biblical teaching of uncleanliness and handling the dead. Can you help me sort out the fear of being unclean by touching a dead body? Is love worth the risk all the time? If yes, do you have a word of advice for someone who want...
Aug 19, 2024•53 min
Questions answered this episode: Can TOB shed any light on the sin of racism? Is it wrong to give a kiss if there’s even the slightest bit of arousal present as a dating couple? I’ve struggled with the sin of masturbation for the past 10 years. It comes and goes in seasons. Recently, I’ve experienced great temptations while I’m asleep. I awaken in the night with urges I can’t control. Do you have any advice? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Preside...
Aug 12, 2024•1 hr 5 min
Questions answered this episode: I’ve always heard that as long as the sexual union ends in intercourse anything goes but I’ve never heard any guidance on what happens next and what could be considered masturbation in marriage. Do you have any guidance? Are boudoir photoshoots immoral? I’d like to go deeper into the topic of chastity. Which book would you recommend? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife We...
Aug 05, 2024•51 min
Questions answered this episode: Would there have been dating and discernment of marriage in the garden before the fall? I’m a young woman soon to be engaged. Before I started dating the man I’m currently with, I had sexual encounters with 2 other guys. He is aware of the first but not the second. Do you have any advice? Why is the word “until” in the verse “He had no relations with her until she bore a son and he named him Jesus” in the Gospel of Matthew? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcas...
Jul 29, 2024•47 min
Questions answered this episode: What happens to children and infants in the Second Coming? My husband and I have been married for over a year. He’s in his early 50’s and I’m in my early 40’s. Even though we’ve been married for a year, we still haven’t had intercourse because of my husband’s sexual trauma. What would you recommend for our healing? As a future high school English teacher, what are some ways I can glorify God in a public classroom setting? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast ...
Jul 22, 2024•50 min
Questions answered this episode: I struggle with comparison. I feel like I don’t have the joy that other christians have. This makes me wonder why I feel like I should have more than what the Lord has already given to me. Why do I think I’m so special as to receive more? If there was no original sin, could we still feel pain in our bodies? I’m a wife & mother. For a while I’ve been feeling resentful towards having to work and I’ve thought about turning a personal hobby into a small business ...
Jul 15, 2024•46 min
Questions answered this episode: What does TOB have to say about folks whose natural personality don’t always line up with archetypes of male and female? I’m in a relationship with a man who is in active recovery from sexual addiction. How can I support him as his girlfriend? What led you (Christopher) to return from protestantism to Catholicism? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humo...
Jul 08, 2024•48 min
Questions answered this episode: Does striving to live out TOB affect the decisions we make for our pet’s fertility? My mother recently had a surgery that required a hysterectomy. This brings about sadness even though she was already past child bearing years. Does TOB have any insights into this? I’m due with my second child very soon. I feel there’s minimal talk around birthing in Catholic circles. What do you think about this? I’d like to use NFP once I’m married but I have irregular cycles wh...
Jul 01, 2024•45 min
Questions answered this episode: I’m a young woman happily dating a catholic man. The thought of having times of abstinence in marriage is a little sad. Could you speak on the beauty of abstinence? Is the ability to be physically intimate even in times of abstinence without it leading to intercourse something that is learned only in marriage? Is this something that can be learned as an engaged couple? My husband of 32 years died last year and I’m struggling with the thought of no longer being a ...
Jun 24, 2024•56 min
Questions answered this episode: What are some examples redirecting our desire (eros) in everyday life? Is there anything inherently wrong with sleeping in the same bed as a long distance girlfriend when we visit each other? Is the near occasion of sin still a sin if I don’t end up sinning? Where is this quote by John Paul II from: “It is the duty of every man to uphold the dignity of every woman”? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christo...
Jun 17, 2024•47 min
Questions answered this episode: I’m dating a wonderful man. I’m very sensitive to physical touch and get aroused very easily. Even holding hands results in arousal. Do you have any advice? Is it okay to keep showing those displays of affection even though they are accompanied by arousal? Why is it a mortal sin to receive the Eucharist in a state of sin? Is the Lord not seeking for us to receive him even when we’re separated from him? Do you have any advice for raising children to feel comfortab...
Jun 16, 2024•49 min
Questions answered this episode: My husband and I are approaching the 25th anniversary of the birth and death of our second born. All this time later, I realize I wish I had a better relationship with him. Do you have any suggestions on how to go about nursing a relationship with my baby on this side of heaven before we are reunited again? I’ve struggled with porn the majority of my life but I’ve been trying to identify what keeps drawing me back. This struggle leads me to have many anxieties an...
Jun 03, 2024•48 min
Questions answered this episode: I’ve heard it said that maybe the reason one hasn’t met their spouse is because God wants wants you to be content solely with Him. But if I get to a point where I am entirely satisfied by God and only Him, then would I even want a spouse at that point? How do I tell God I love Him above all but that I also want a husband? I’ve struggled with masturbation since I was a little girl. I met a wonderful priest who helped me stop, not because of any particular advice b...
May 27, 2024•59 min
Questions answered this episode: I work for a subsidiary of a large national pharmacy that will soon start to distribute abortion pills. Do you have any advice for discerning the line between remote and material cooperation with evil? How should I determine when it’s time to start working for a new company? I grew up as the oldest child of a narcissistic father and was verbally abused my entire life. I’m in my mid 20’s and I want to pursue the vocation God has for me, but I’m also terrified by t...
May 20, 2024•45 min
Questions answered this episode: Jesus seems to be hostile towards the body in Mt 5:29-31. How does that go together with the sacramentality of our bodies? What is the main goal of the union between man and woman? Why do people bow for incense? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their humor and wisdom, answering questions about marriage, relationships, life, and the Catholic faith, all in li...
May 13, 2024•44 min
