Ask Christopher West

What does St. Paul mean when he talks about "marital debt" in First Corinthians? I've had a hysterectomy; is this an impediment to marriage? How do I respond to people who believe that large families are harmful to the environment? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Q1: In recent weeks, I’ve heard discussions from other podcasts about the “marital debt” which is taken from Paul’s letter in First Corinthians 7. Could you explain from the perspective of TOB what St. Paul is saying (or not saying) about sex being a “debt” the spouses owe to one another in marriage? Q2: I’ve had a hysterectomy. It does not seem correct to say that if I cannot conceive, I cannot get married in the church. You’ve said a sterile man cannot get married in the church. Does this apply to me as well? Q3: How do I respond to people who think that choosing or being open to having a large family is irresponsible due to the environmental impact that humans have, and that this choice is potentially jeopardizing the future sustainability of our planet? Resources mentioned this week: The Good News about Sex and Marriage Laudato Si: Encyclical by Pope Francis TOB Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

How do I overcome the brokenness I experience as a victim of abuse and toxic relationships? What do you think about the use of Viagra? What is the right age to talk to my kids about sex and the body? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Q1: I was recently in Adoration, reading the Song of Songs. I found myself very uncomfortable with what I was reading. I know these words demonstrate the life between Christ and His Church, and the ideal life that could be shared between spouses. But as someone who has suffered sexual abuse and toxic relationships, I can’t seem to read this words without shame, especially those parts describing the body. How can I begin to believe in my core that eros and agape love is real, and to begin to receive it from the Lord? Q2: What do you think of Viagra? Q3: What is the best age to teach my kids about sex and their body? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality Beyond the Birds and the Bees by Greg and Lisa Popcak Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

Animals vs humans! Relics! Catholics going overboard on Mary! We've got it all this week! Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Q1: God saw Adam was alone in the garden and so gave him a mate, Eve. But I don't see how this made Adam any different from all the other animals. Didn't all the other animals have a mate already. Weren't they all made male and female. If so why was Adam the only animal made male only. If God made all the animals male and female at the beginning why didn't He make man Male and Fem,ale at the beginning? How does being male and female make man any different from all the other animals? Q2: Can you explain the Catholic fascination with Relics? Q3: As a Catholic, I'm interested in learning more about Mary, but I'm afraid of going "overboard" with it, as many Catholics do. Do you have any advice? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: TOB Courses - Keep an eye out for our Marian course, coming soon! Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

We're a young couple in college and we're very much in love. What advice do you have for keeping our relationship chaste? What do you think about cursing during prayer? What does TOB teach on tattoes? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Q1: What advice could you give to a young couple in college who are striving for a chaste, pure relationship. We’ve been friends for 2 years and dating for 6 months. And with the intense level of emotional closeness we feel, it’s hard for the desire for physical closeness to be kept at bay. Q2: What is your take on cursing during prayer? Q3: Does TOB have any insights on tattoos? I feel like everyone has a tattoo these days for their own personal reasons. Are tattoos seen as a way of dishonoring the body in the light of TOB? Resources mentioned this week: TOB Pilgrimage to the Holy Land Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

How can TOB help me as I give spiritual directions to others, particularly young people? What light can TOB shed on the spiritual significance of menstruation? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Q1: Are there any resources I can use to help me incorporate TOB in giving spiritual direction, specifically to young adults and teens? Q2: What is the theology of the menstruation? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: 'Love Is Patient but I'm Not' book January 2019 TOB: Head and Heart Immersion Course in Spanish Full TOB Course Schedule Image of Virtue of Charity at St. Peter Basilica Image of Virtue of Chastity at St. Peter Basilica Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

As Christopher and Wendy take a week off, we share a very special talk from Christopher in the Sistine Chapel, which John Paul II called "The Shrine of Theology of the Body". It was recorded at the TOB Institute Pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi in Fall of 2018. Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute? Become a Patron! Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: John Paul II's Speech for the Rededication of the Sistine Chapel - April 8, 1994 Virtual Tour of the Sistine Chapel Join us on a pilgrimage! Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

My wife and I spent many years living in a state of serious sexual sin. How do we deal with this now that we have decided to change our lives? As a young woman experiencing same-sex attraction, how am I meant to experience intimacy in life? What should I do when my boyfriend is not ready for marriage, but I very much am? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Love the podcast? Become a patron of the TOB Institute and help make it happen! This week’s questions: Q1: Dear Christopher, my brother in Christ Jesus, Praise the Lord! I am a Catholic from Hyderabad, India. We received very liberal teachings (in fact, doctrinally wrong teachings) on birth control, family planning, our sexual lives by our Church here and we've made such horrible mistakes in the bargain, because we got it all wrong. it is our fault. Both me and my beloved wife are ashamed of ourselves. I feel as if I can beg for mercy from the lord, all my life, but I will always carry this burden of guilt and sin. Shat I need to do to tame my body and keep it purified as the temple of the Holy Spirit? Q2: I am a same-sex attracted woman in my twenties. What level of intimacy can even exist for such a one as I? And what is the gift I can give to the one I’m drawn to unite with? In other words, what kind of intimate relationship is possible for same-sex attracted people? Q3: I’m struggling very much with being able tcome to terms with my boyfriend not being ready fir engagement and marriage quite yet. I feel. Like I’ve been ready to enter into this vocation, and he and I both want to be together, but for him, just not yet. How do I come to terms with this? Is it a sign that God doesn’t want us to be together because we’re not ready at the same time? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Eden Invitation Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

My husband and I are unable to have physical relations at the moment. How do we maintain our intimacy? Why did we inherit the Original Sin of Adam and Eve if we did not personally commit it? Why did the salvific act of Jesus bring salvation to all of us? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. If you love the work of the TOB Institute, become a patron! This week’s questions: Q1: (Continued from last week's episode) My husband and I have been happily married for 30 years. Living our Catholicism as married persons is very important to us. Our history of marital relations has been complicated because of some sexual abuse, body image issues and depression for me and brief period of pornography plus difficulty with emotional intimacy for my husband. We have worked hard to keep working at our relationship. Our marital relations have rarely been easy but we keep trying because we love each other and want to honor our spousal relationship. Most recently I have had some medical issues and surgery which has made having intercourse temporarily not possible. It has been over 6 months since we tried. We have gradually grown less affectionate because I don’t want to unfairly arouse my husband. Sometimes I am relieved but feel guilty about it, to have the medical excuse because the difficulties trying to be intimate are so emotionally painful. We are both so vulnerable and I am concerned our affection and sexual intimacy will never improve. Discouraged. Please advise. Many thanks. Q2: Hello Wendy and Christopher, thank you so much for this podcast! I absolutely love it! I would like to ask a question very close to my heart. It has haunted me for a strange reason since I was young. ... My question is about the original sin and I guess about the whole meaning of salvation. Would you explain to me why the responsibility of Adam and Eve's sin is also mine: why did all humanity fall from grace because of the sin of the original couple? And in that same train of thought: I also don't quite get how Jesus brought salvation and forgiveness for all of us. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: The Good News about Sex and Marriage Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

Why is the Church referred to as a "She?" What's going on with the JPII Institute in Rome? My health makes it difficult for my husband and I to have marital relations, and I'm concerned. What should I do? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. Love the podcast? Become a patron of the TOB Institute! This week’s questions: Q1: Why is the church always referred to as a “She”? Obviously, we learned this from Jesus who will Himself marry His bride: the Church. But there must be reasoning beyond this. For instance, a ship is always referred to as a female. Does referring to the church as a "she" somehow refer to a woman’s womb? Like a ship, the womb is a safe dwelling place. Or am I making this all up? Q2: I've been hearing a lot about trouble with the JPII Institute in Rome? What's going on there? Q3: My husband and I have been happily married for 30 years. Living our Catholicism as married persons is very important to us. Our history of marital relations has been complicated because of some sexual abuse, body image issues, and depression for me and a brief period of pornography plus difficulty with emotional intimacy for my husband. We have worked hard to keep working at our relationship. Our marital relations have rarely been easy but we keep trying because we love each other and want to honor our spousal relationship. Most recently I have had some medical issues and surgery which has made having intercourse temporarily not possible. It has been over 6 months since we tried. We have gradually grown less affectionate because I don’t want to unfairly arouse my husband. Sometimes I am relieved but feel guilty about it, to have the medical excuse because the difficulties trying to be intimate are so emotionally painful. We are both so vulnerable and I am concerned our affection and sexual intimacy will never improve. Discouraged. Please advise. Many thanks. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: [Prof. Stanislaw Grygiel's Interview on the JPII Institute](eng.pch24.pl/the-twilight-of-the-john-paul-ii-institute--an-interview-with-prof--stanislaw-grygiel,70372,i.html) The Humanum Series : See Episode 3 for Peter Kreeft on Man and Woman I Am Legend Movie Eclipse of the Body by Christopher West Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.

What does the Anima Christi prayer tell us about TOB? Should I be using NFP to avoid pregnancy? How do I talk to my daughter about transgenderism? Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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. This week’s questions: Q1: What light does the Anima Christi prayer shed on the TOB? Q2: I am 41 years old and my husband and I have been married for 8 years. We have been trying to get pregnant for the last seven years, we have had two miscarriages. I still feel that I would like to become a mother but I am concerned that I will be too old if it happens. I told my husband that there is part of me that wants not to have children anymore and perhaps use NFP to avoid getting pregnant from now on. He said that this would go against the teaching of the church and will be a sin. I would like your opinion on this. Q3: I need some help with lovingly discussing transgenderism with my 14 year old daughter. This has sadly become quite a popular thing in school and it seems to be viewed as "cool". My daughter has a female friend who says she identifies as a male and has gone so far to have her friends call her by a boy's name. How can I most lovingly admonish this friend's behavior without seeming judgemental or unkind? Whenever I try to steer her away from thinking that this isn't okay she becomes very defensive and says she "just doesn't see anything wrong with it". Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: The Good News about Sex and Marriage You: Life, Love, and The Theology of the Body from Ascension Press Upcoming TOB courses TOB Pilgrimages Anima Christi Prayer: Soul of Christ, sanctify me. Body of Christ, save me. Blood of Christ, inebriate me. Water from the side of Christ, wash me. Passion of Christ, strengthen me. O Good Jesus, hear me. Within your wounds hide me. Permit me not to be separated from you. From the wicked foe, defend me. At the hour of my death, call me and bid me come to you That with your saints I may praise you For ever and ever. Amen. Ode to Wine from Sirach 31 _Let not wine be the proof of your strength For wine has been the ruin of many As the furnace tests the work of the smith So does wine test the heart. Wine is very life to anyone if taken in moderation. Does anyone really live who lacks the wine that from the beginning, God created for our Joy? Joy of heart, good cheer, and delight Is wine enough drunk at the proper time, But headache, bitterness, and disgrace Is wine drunk amid anger and strife. Wine in excess is a snare for the fool But do not wrangle with your neighbor when wine is served Nor despise him while he’s having a good time. Say no harsh word to him._ Find Christopher West on Facebook and Instagram. Discover the Theology of the Body Institute. If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review. Thanks for listening! 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. Produced by Sounder and Key.