Ask Christopher West

Is it enough that we desire marriage and feel the Lord calling us, or should we wait to receive some explicit confirmation? It's hard for me to believe that Mary gave birth without pain while Jesus consumated his marriage with us in pain. What do you think about this? How can a bear a sexless marriage as a wife with love and joy? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of th...

I tend to get bored in my relationships with the opposite sex but I'm scared to death of being alone for the rest of my life. . . do you have any advice? Are strict codes of modesty always linked with puritanism? Is it wrong for me to imagine that I am taking care of the Christ child when I care for my children? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute P...

How do I remember the path to escape from lust when my mind becomes so preocupied by the temptation? How does contraception differ from NFP or natural infertility? Does consumation have to be done on the wedding night? 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 questi...

What is the Catholic Church's teaching on sex toys? How can a become detached from my appearance without worrying that my husband will want something I'm not? Do you have any insight from Theology of the Body on the process of birth? 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 w...

Is it a mortal sin for a wife to deny her husband's "marital rights"? What are your thoughts on the article from Stat titled: "After decades of setbacks, scientists make strides toward the holy grail of male birth control"? Why do you think the genitals are located in such proximity to (or share the same location of) our excretion pathways? Ask Christopher West is a weekly...

How can TOB help with a healthy relationship to food? For many years I suffered from premature ejaculation but now, sometimes I have unions with my wife where I do not ejaculate. . . is that acceptable? I am yearning for spiritual and emotional intimacy with my husband of 29 years, but he seems incapable of sharing his heart and our conjugal union has become, for me, merely mechanical. How does on...

Many devout Catholics hold a negative view of NFP, but Humanae Vitae seems to cast it in a positive light. Am I wrong to think that practicing NFP is not only permissiable but commendable? If redemption and resurection is the restoration of our humanity to its origins, why won't there be marriage in heaven? How can TOB help me give myself sexually to my husband when I feel so disconnected from...

Any practical advice for how to spread the message of TOB through the mass media? Is there any eternal merit or divine purpose in seeking an anulment for its own sake, without the earthly hope of remarriage? Can annulments help heal the wounds of a painful marriage and divorce? Is it wrong to be attracted to "sexiness"? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Bo...

What are your prayer lives like as individuals and as a couple? How does Christopher balance his family life and work life? What actually happens spiritually during the maritual embrace and why is it so sacred? 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 abou...

What is the theological significance of nocturnal emmissions? What does it mean to lust after your spouse? What does that look like? If the desire to have a spouse is holy, then what was meant after The Fall when God said to Eve, "Your desire shall be for your husband and he shall rule over you"? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President C...

Does the Theology of the Body touch on the mystery of death and "until death do us part"? Did God know Adam and Eve would commit the original sin? Before I was married, I had an IUD inserted. My husband and I are newly married and both want to have it removed; however, his problems with drinking make me afraid to have it taken out. . . am I still sinning by keeping it in? Ask Christopher...

How do I respond to being invited to the "wedding" of a same-sex couple? I have been a lustful man and I am trying not to me but my past still haunts me. Because of this, I feel selfish everytime I ask for communion with my wife. . . how can I overcome this shame? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved w...

As a man in his early thirties who has been through a legal divorce and the annulment process, what should I do to discern my vocation? What is the theology behind miscarriages and still births? As a newly-wed woman, I am afraid of making love with the lights on and allowing my husband to see me. . . what should I do? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute...

What does it mean theologically that men are always fertile while women are only fertile for a fraction of each month? My boyfriend has a past of watching porn. . . it is very hard for me to feel beautiful and confident in front around him because I know that it must have effected his ideas and expectations of what the female body should look like. Any advice? I want to love and cherish my husband...

What reflections do you have on the sacramental view of nature and Theology of the Body? What should do when my fiancé looks at women on Instagram? Is it possible for sexual arrousal to be born out of love and deep desire for spiritual communion? If it is possible, how can I train myself to change my mind from responding to seduction to being a man able to love and give myself as a gift? Ask Chris...

How do I know that I truly love the woman I'm dating and that it's not just the feelings of comfort she gives me? I do not want to make my wife an object for my desire, yet when she rejects me I struggle mightily. How do I unconditionally love my wife and not ask or expect anything of her when I have such strong desires? If marriage is a sacrament of Christ's love for the Church, why i...

Does Theology of the Body speak to what would have happend to Mary's body and soul at the end of her life? How can I, as a married man, find purpose without the joy of children? How can I introduce the themes of John Paul II's teaching on sexuality as a teacher at a secular school? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West a...

Do you have any advice for me as a priest, celebrating the mass of my cousin who is struggling with his faith? Where in the Bible does it explicitly state that it is a sin to have sex outside of marriage and where does the Catholic Church state that it is a mortal sin? What thoughts do you have on makeup and beauty standards? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body I...

How can spouses communicate how they feel about the issue of maintaining physical attractiveness throughout the stages of married life without adding hurt to the relationship? Regarding marriage in old age, is there a dispensation in Canon Law permitting marriage if the union is unable to be consumated due to impotence after child baring years? What does it mean to take in movies, TV shows, and ot...

Any tips on how to offer hope to my brother who struggles with same sex attraction? Wendy, could you share more about praying for Christopher while he was pursuing an other woman before you were together? Where can I find the complete works of John Paul II on Theology of the Body? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his be...

What jargon in our world today do you think is keeping us from seeing/hearing the actual Truth? What is "marriage debt"? How can I share my deep wounds of past sexual abuse with my husband without giving details that will be unhelpful? 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 a...

Can you flesh out the concept of placing our intentions in the womb of the Blessed Mother? Isn't using NFP to avoid a pregnancy less open to life than just having sex without tracking the woman's cycle? As a young woman I sometimes find myself wishing my body was different and I feel that what God has given me is not enough. Does Theology of the Body have any help to offer? Ask Christopher...

How can you logically disprove misinterpretations of scripture? In the analogy between liturgy and marital intimacy, what is the symbolic equivalent of the altar? What are your thoughts on the TOB dimensions of breast feeding? 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, answerin...

Does Theology of the Body have anything to contribute to the image of placing prayer intentions in the womb of Mary? Should people always be actively seeking a vocation to marriage or religious life? How did you get healed from your sexual past and what should I do? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wend...

What are your thoughts on nudity in art? How can Theology of the Body help me and my fiance discuss our disagreements about abortion? What are your thoughts on teaching TOB in Catholic high schools? Is it a waste of time? 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 que...