Ask Christopher West

Questions answered this episode: Will heaven be less spectacular until the day when souls get reunited with their bodies? How will the final judgement change the status of people already in heaven or in hell? How can I begin to enter into the deep emotional realities of art like music or movies? How can I know if my desire to live a single life is my calling? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podca...

Questions answered this episode: How can I know if God not only loves me but likes me? My husband and I recently married but I find that I’m resentful and defensive because of things that happened during our 5 years of dating. I continue to grow angrier and resentful as our marriage goes on. Do you have any advice? I’m a young woman and often find myself wanting to be desired by another man. Is lo...

Questions answered this episode: I’m engaged and looking forward to marriage but have struggled with body image and eating disorders. How can I prepare myself mentally, emotionally and/or physically for the marital embrace? How can I love my body more so that I can let my fiancé love it too? What does the Church say about medical infertility? Do you have any resources available to teach Theology o...

Questions answered this episode: Is it true that beauty is in the eye of the beholder? I become distant and irritable when abstaining from sexual intimacy with my wife. Do you have any advice? How can I accept an unwanted pregnancy? 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, an...

Questions answered this episode: Is there anything wrong with me for being attracted to someone only when she uses makeup? As a physician, is prescribing contraception a mortal sin? My husband thinks we should use NPF for the rest of our marriage but I long to continue having children. Do you have any thoughts? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Presid...

Questions answered this episode: How do we reorient what we find gross about the bodily functions? What is masturbation? As a pre-engaged couple, how do we heal from our sexual past? 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, l...

Questions answered this episode: Will I ever get over my first love? Is it okay date others while still attached to another? What story does the body of a person with same sex attraction tell? Why does the bride come in after the priest at a wedding? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and his beloved wife Wendy share their hu...

Questions answered this episode: What’s going on with the blessing of same sex unions? Does the TOB have anything to say about consummating your marriage on the wedding night? How do Christopher and Wendy live their intimacy with Jesus in parallel with their intimacy as husband and wife? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute President Christopher West and...

Questions answered this episode: Why are our parishes only run by fathers if the domestic church (the family) is run by fathers and mothers? I’m not “stunning” compared to the standards of beauty that society has. I know I’m “beautifully and wonderfully made” but I understand this only with my mind, not my heart. Do you have any advice? I’ve heard that as married couples, we need to be intimate to...

Questions answered this episode: I’m getting married soon and I know that there will be no marriage in heaven. Recently the thought of spending such a short life with my future husband and then eternity alone has crept in. Can the TOB speak into this? I have a genetical disease that has a 50% probability of being passed on. Can the Theology of the Body provide help to discern if I should take the...

Questions answered this episode: I’m a 40 year old husband and father. I grew up in a family dynamic where porn and masturbation was normal. I quitted porn after 7 years of marriage but now I’m really struggling with intrusive thoughts. Do you have any advice? I recently heard that circumcision is mutilation. Should I confess this? I’m a mid-wife accompanying a couple that’s pregnant with a child...

Questions answered this episode: My son wants to change his name to a gender neutral name. What do I call him? I’ve developed a friendship with a woman that’s several years older than I am. As our friendship grows, the possibility of a romantic relationship has come up but I don’t feel “butterflies” in my stomach. Would it be irresponsible to enter a relationship without those romantic feelings? T...

Questions answered this episode: Should I invite a girl out even though she might not share the same values and faith I do? How can I explain to a 3rd grader that consuming the Eucharist is not the same as vampirism? How can I let my girlfriend know that other men might look at the way she dresses impurely while honoring her God given beauty? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theol...

Questions answered this episode: My current parish has a radically liberal priest and LGBTQ ministries. Should I speak to my parish priest or should I just look for another parish? I’ve struggled with pornography for a long time. Do you have any practical advice on how to overcome porn? I’m having difficulty accepting my place as the bride in the spousal analogy. How can I accept my receptive role...

Questions answered this episode: If death entered the world with the fall of man, what about all the other creatures on earth before man came into the scene? What is the disinterested gift that John Paul II talks about and how does it relate to eros? My wife does not want any more children and resists the idea of practicing NFP. How do I not destroy my marriage, not put my soul in jeopardy and sti...

Questions answered this episode: I grew up in a very painful and hurtful environment and fear that all my personality traits come from this broken past. How do I continue to trust God when it feels like I’m becoming a stranger to myself and everyone that knows me? Is it possible to talk to teens about the beauty of their sexuality in a way that won’t make them feel threatened or embarrassed? What...

Questions answered this episode: I have a hard time trying to determine if the way I look at women is sinful or not. Do you have any advice? Is there any difference between touching different parts of my body and masturbation? I don’t understand why the latter is sinful while the former is perfectly acceptable. Did you struggle with perfectionism when practicing NFP? Is the way I see NFP a contrac...

Questions answered this episode: When would it be appropriate to recommend living as brother and sister to couples who got a civil divorce, got remarried but are still in a sacramental marriage with a former spouse? What exactly does “living as brother and sister” entail? Where does the Church teach that mutual acts of intimacy which do not involve intercourse but which result in orgasm for one or...

Questions answered this episode: I’m a mother, and now that my children are in school and going through the social dynamics of popularity, memories from my own time in school and this unhealthy dynamic are welling up. Why do I have this need to feel like I’m “cool”? We are a married couple struggling with the trial of managing intimacy and aging. At this point, I’m struggling to maintain an erecti...

Questions answered this episode: I'm trying to read through the actual text of John Paul's Theology of the Body but I find it incredibly difficult to understand. Is there anything I could do? My best friend and her husband are practicing Natural Family Planing. She feels isolated, discouraged and frustrated. Meanwhile, I feel like NFP should be a team effort and a source of closeness to th...

Questions answered this episode: Can a wife bless her husband? My husband doesn’t understand the huge life change that motherhood has been for me. How can I prevent our difference in parenthood roles from affecting our relationship? I’m a Catholic young adult whom recently dated an Anglican. I enjoyed our time together but decided to not formalize the relationship. I’m uncertain if my decision was...

Questions answered this episode: My daughter & her fiancé are thinking about moving in together before getting married in the Church and she expects me to help with the move. What should I do? I struggled with porn addiction and I experience self-hatred towards my sexuality. How can I deal with my scarred sexuality in a practical way? My father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and whenever...

Questions answered this episode: I was pregnant and developed a condition that led to an early delivery and the passing of my son within a few hours of delivery. Now I’m struggling to see my womb as a place of life instead of death. Can the Theology of the Body shine a light on this? Does one have to be in a state of grace in order to receive the sacramental benefits from marriage? What if one of...

Questions answered this episode: I recently watched the movie Sound of Freedom and I was deeply moved. What do you think is contributing to this horrific reality and why hasn't the Church addressed this crisis? Was Adam at fault when eating of the forbidden tree? Did John Paul II say anything about it in his Theology of the Body? My wife has been experiencing excessive bleeding and doctors hav...

Questions answered this episode: Do you have any tips for healing for someone that chose to be a stoic rather than an addict before he/she knew about the banquet that the Gospel offered? Should I share that I'm no longer a virgin with the next person I date? Can I become a virgin again? We are recent weds but discerned avoiding pregnancy for the beginning of our marriage. We are uncertain abou...