How do you reconcile St. Paul's writings in Romans with Theology of the Body? How do you reconcile the saints' words that say Celibacy is the superior vocation when the Sacrament of Marriage is so beautiful and ordained by God? Is there a video series you would recommend for introducing TOB to my parish?
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 John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body.
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Q1: I've heard you mention that we are not spritual beings stuck in a human body and that the human body is good, but when I read Roman's 7:18, St. Paul says, "Nothing good dwells in me that is in my flesh." The more I read Roman's chapter 7, the more I feel like the human body is not good. Can please explain to me what St. Paul meant.
Q2: I am a 21-year-old entering into my senior year at a Catholic University and I have always wanted to be a nun. My parents' marriage is not a healthy one, so growing up, I ran away from the vocation to marriage. That is, until a little while ago when I had what I like to call a "Maria von Trapp" moment where I realized that I had fallen for someone. Because of this, I decided to take a course on Theology of the Body. This led to the healing of my "marriage wounds" and I soon fell in love with the beauty and richness of the vocation to marriage. My question, though, is how can I know for sure if I am meant to pursue the vocation to marriage? What if I have the grace for living Continence for the Kingdom and I choose marriage instead? Is this choosing a lesser good over the greater good? And, how do you reconcile the saints' words that say Celibacy is the superior vocation when the Sacrament of Marriage is so beautiful and ordained by God?
Q3: I would like to introduce TOB to my parish. Is there a video series that you would recommend?
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Resources mentioned this week:
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Christopher and Wendy hope their advice is helpful to you, but they are not licensed counseling professionals. If you are dealing with serious issues, please consult our list of trusted professionals.
Featuring music by Mike Mangione.