Ask Christopher West

As a single person in my thirties, how do I cope with the desire to be married? As a happily married man, how do I ensure that my sexual desire for my wife is expressed in love and not lust? How can couples develop a deeper practice of marital prayer? Christopher and Wendy draw from their own experiences of marriage in this episode of Ask Christopher West. Also, Christopher quacks. Really. 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 do you do if you are single and you've been single for years? I’m in my thirties and I want to get married, but God has not put that person in your life yet. How do I reconcile this ache and longing for communion? Q2: As a happily married man, I often struggle with my own sexual desire for my wife and distinguishing whether this desire (and how I express it) is right or wrong. We're firmly planted in the Church's teachings concerning sexual ethics but even within those boundaries my experience has been one of guilt over whether I am truly being loving or lustful toward my wife. Any words of wisdom would be greatly appreciated! Q3: Do you pray together as a couple? What does that look like for you? As a spiritual director (and celibate woman, consecrated with vows), I encourage spouses to have and develop marital prayer. Often times I get surprised with the response: “that’s awkward”! I am aware that one’s spiritual life is quite intimate, but I imagine it could deepen other levels of intimacy in marriage, including physical intimacy. Would you mind sharing this intimate topic with us, your beloved audience ;) Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: For more by Christopher West on Marriage, check out 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

A lot of people support the Sexual Revolution (and everything that comes with it) out of genuine compassion for their fellow man. How do we best address or dialogue with people in this position? What are some ways that married couples manage conflict within marriage? Christopher and Wendy share from their own experience to answer these questions. 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: I think a great many people who support the Sexual Revolution (contraception, abortion, etc) do so out of a genuine compassion for others. Often, as Christians, we have a tendency to view such people as "the enemy". What's the most effective way to engage with them that respects (or at least assumes) their genuine compassion? Q2: Can you share some ways in which married couples can manage conflict within their marriages? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Catechism 678 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

Do I have to be a "slave" to God? As a minister, how do I figure out the balance between work and life balance? What role does male/female complementarity play in parenting? Christopher and Wendy answer these questions in this week's episode of Ask Christopher West! 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: Why do the saints and mystics put such an emphasis on being a “slave” to Jesus, while we know that God is not a slavedriver? Q2: As a minister, how do I balance the demands of ministry and family? Q3: How should the complementarity of man and woman fulfill God’s plan in the context of parenting? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Pope Francis Apostolic Exhortation: Gaudete et Exsultate Parenting with Grace 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

Why all the emphasis on dressing modestly? Why are we focusing on that and not on seeing others as people, not objects? As a youth minister, how do I help my teens see the beauty of Theology of the Body? Why does the Church seem to be overly concerned with virgins and virginity? Christopher and Wendy dive into these questions, as well as Christopher's hair regimen, in this episode. 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: If our ultimate goal is to be able to look at one another without any sense of sin or lust, why is there such an emphasis on dressing modestly? Shouldn't we be focused on developing the ability to see one another as people rather than objects? - Anonymous Q2: I'm a youth minister. How do i convince youth that are mentally stuck in the sin of impurity to understand and live out the church's teaching on sexuality? And by stuck I mean totally unmoved after three weeks of talks/discussions with a respected and effective clergy member. - Ryan Q3: When we talk about Catholic saints, it’s common to hear them described as virgins. But, I’ve noticed that we only ever describe Female saints as virgins! To a modern woman like myself, frankly, that comes off as creepy and sexist. If we value virginity, why do we only brag on female virgins and not male ones? - Veronica Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Ephesians Chapters 5 and 6 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! Production by Sounder and Key.

Cake or pie? Seriously, that's a question this episode. Also, do you have any advice for my husband and I as we give a talk about NFP to a group of engaged couples? How do we begin to teach some TOB principles to our young children? Christopher and Wendy share some personal stories as they answer these questions. 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: My husband and I have been asked to give a talk on NFP to a group of couples preparing for marriage. What wisdom can you share from TOB that might add some fuel to our fire? Q2: How do we begin to teach some of these principles to young children? What are some techniques you’ve used with your own children? Q3: Cake or Pie. Which is the superior dessert? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: The Good News about Sex and Marriage Especially Chapter 6! The Truth and Meaning of Human Sexuality Beyond the Birds and the Bees by Greg and Lisa Popcak Beyond the Talk: 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

A few weeks ago, Gillette released an ad commenting on masculinity and its place within society. Christopher and Wendy answer questions people have submitted on this particular topic. 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: What does it mean for a person to be masculine? Is there such a thing as "toxic masculinity"? Conversely, is there such a thing as "toxic femininity"? Are men inherently more sinful than women? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Gillette Ad: We Believe: The Best A Man Can Be Christopher and Matt Fradd's Facebook Live Conversation on the Ad Information on the TOB Institute Head and Heart Immersion Course happening March 17-22! More on other TOB Institute courses here. 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

I'm a gay Catholic woman, living a chaste life. Why did God make me this way? Why should Theology of the Body matter to me as much as it does to you? What do I tell my teen who wants to have sex with her boyfriend? Christopher and Wendy answer these questions on today's episode of Ask Christopher West. 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: I'm a gay Catholic woman living a chaste life. Why did God make me this way? Q2: Why should Theology of the Body matter as much to ME as it does to Christopher and Wendy West? Q3: What do I tell my teen who wants to have sex with her boyfriend? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Register for Christopher's free mini-course: What Do You Want? 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

As a teenager, how can I share my love for TOB with my peers and friends? How can a wife continue to love a husband who seems increasingly distant? What acts outside of intercourse are appropriate in marriage? This episode contains content that may be inappropriate for young listeners. 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: I’m a teen who is excited about the Theology of the Body. How do I share this with people around me, even if they might be resistant to it? Q2: What about a couple that gets married and are very much in love, but then the husband’s love seems to wane. The wife suffers because she doesn’t feel loved by the husband. How can TOB help this couple? Q3: So if we are trying to abstain, but I still want to enjoy my spouse, why are other sexual acts not approved by the Church? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Register for Christopher's free mini-course: What Do You Want? 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.

Does my own broken sexual past mean I can't talk to my kids about virtue? How do I talk and pray with my teen daughter who identifies as a lesbian? How do we overcome poor father figures in our lives? Christopher and Wendy lend their wisdom to these questions regarding teenagers and adolescence. 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 Cathlic faith all in light of John Paul II’s beautiful teachings on the Theology of the Body. This week’s questions: Q1: I want to share the truth about sexuality with my children, but I have not had a virtuous sexual past. Does this make me a hypocrite? Q2: How can a mother talk and pray with her 15 year old daughter who identifies as a lesbian? Q3: How can girls with bad father figures know what healthy desire is, when all they have is bad examples? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Register for Christopher's free mini-course: What Do You Want? Resources mentioned this week: On Golden Pond 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! Produced by Sounder and Key

Should there be a Theology of the Body dating site? Do people in committed marriages need to understand TOB? What about people who are really struggling with life issues? Christopher and Wendy plunge into these questions and more on the first episode of the Ask Christopher West Podcast. 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: If you launched a TOB dating site, what features would you want included? Q2: Do I still need to learn about TOB if I’m in a committed, monogamous marriage? Q3: How do you share the beautiful message of TOB with people who are held up with legitimate struggles? For example, those who are in poverty or very ill? Q4: As a person who never received affirmation when I was young, how can I move forward to understanding that God knows, loves, and desires relationship with me? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Register for Christopher's free mini-course: What Do You Want? Resources mentioned this week: Humanae Vitae - Pope Paul VI 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! Produced by Sounder and Key.