Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexua...
Bodily Functions in Eden, Navigating Endometriosis, and Finding Confidence in Disability and Masculinity | ACW319
Questions answered this episode:
1. In the state of original innocence did Adam & Eve experience bodily functions like defecation and urination? If so, how would these have aligned with their original harmony and the perfection of creation. Sometimes these functions are uncomfortable or even painful.
2. For almost a year now I’ve been in a beautiful catholic relationship. We both love God and our faith and want to follow the Church’s teaching in our relationship. We’re discerning marriage at the moment and we’re navigating through the obstacles. I’m 21 now and since I was 13 I’ve had endometriosis with heavy symptoms. I’ve tried many treatments over the years with little success. One year ago, after a lot of inner battles I started taking a birth control pill. Since them I’m almost symptom free. If we were to get married in the next year, it wouldn’t be responsible for us to have children right away because we’re both still in college for at least 2 and a half years. If I would stop taking the pill and start NFP that would mean a lot of pain and a great burden for my daily life. I’m extremely afraid of this scenario. Could you shed some light into this confusion?
3. I have a physical disability that prevents me from driving and being handy and limits my ability to provide physical protection. I hear so often about how women want men with these traits so they feel safe to express their femininity. I want to trust that God will help me find someone but I get discouraged thinking about how my disability limits me in fulfilling natural female desires. How should I make myself worthy of a kind, affectionate and loyal woman given my disability.
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.
🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body (https://www.tobforfree.com)
📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty (www.eatingthesunrise.com)
⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community (https://tobpatron.com)!
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com (http://www.askchristopherwest.com).
Resources mentioned this week:
Paul VI Institute (https://popepaulvi.com/)
NAPRO Technology (https://naprotechnology.com/)
Good News About Sex & Marriage (https://shop.corproject.com/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage)
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute)
📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/) to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE (https://shop.corproject.com/collections/best-sellers/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage) by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.
⛷️ Join Christopher on a ski trip to Utah Click here (https://jp2trails.com/trip/utah-ski-retreat/)
🏔️ Want to join us on one of our pilgrimages? Click here (http://tobpilgrimages.com/)
🌟 For professional Catholic Life Coaching, including Porn Recovery: https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/ (https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/)
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]
Find Christopher West on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cwestofficial) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/cwestofficial).
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute (http://www.tobinstitute.org).
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-christopher-west/id1448699486). 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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GI1XK7viPMV36eBBNjxoKqzCENSRVyR1IoLpX6lqrw/edit?usp=sharing).
Featuring music by Mike Mangione (https://www.mikemangione.com/).
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44:19
Rehabilitating Sexual Desire, Pelvic Health Practice, and Embracing Masculinity | ACW318
Questions answered this episode:
1. I’m 21, finishing up college soon and have been fighting for the past 6 years to overcome an addiction to porn and masturbation that started when I was first exposed to porn in 4th grade. The past 2 years have been especially tumultuous with lots of victory and defeat. However I believe God has been allowing these setbacks in order to purify me in numerous ways. Recently I started going on dates with a good friend of mine. As a result, I’ve noticed two particularly concerning things in myself. 1: I feel like I’ve resigned myself to the fact that God is the only one who would ever accept me. I can’t imagine someone knowing everything about me and still loving me fully. I want to be loved by more than just God but I see that as a fantasy. 2: I feel like my battle with porn has left me needing physical therapy for my sexual desire. I feel like I’ve been so hard against lust that I’ve lost the ability to experience sexual desire purely. Do you have any recommendations on how to rehabilitate my sexual desire?
2. I’m a physical therapist specializing in pelvic health. I see prenatal and postpartum women, postmenopausal women, and men who also may suffer from pelvic pain or pelvic surgery. This is a wonderful profession which also opens a door to see a lot of suffering and life challenges. In my work I meet people from all walks of life and belief systems who are experiencing pain and sometimes trauma. Lately I’ve been asking myself how I can best help people when the help they want is not in keeping with my catholic faith. These are matters around sex, gender and all the values and teachings that come with these. How do I practice and stay true to my faith. Can I treat them according to their goals and tell myself is between them and God or am I complicit in their sin?
3. How can I learn to embrace my masculinity in a healthy way when sometimes I do not feel like a complete normal man since I only have 1 testicle. I’ve always felt a little shy and inadequate even though I’ve excelled in many areas of life.
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.
🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body (https://www.tobforfree.com)
📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty (www.eatingthesunrise.com)
⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community (https://tobpatron.com)!
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com (http://www.askchristopherwest.com).
Resources mentioned this week:
Help against porn playlist (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAbqXQaOvkM5bCz689gTJM4IdMr7Qd5gb&si=rbsKflk3Hc-a9bwg)
Catholic Medical Association (https://www.cathmed.org/)
National Catholic Bioethics Center (https://www.ncbcenter.org/)
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute)
📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/) to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE (https://shop.corproject.com/collections/best-sellers/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage) by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.
⛷️ Join Christopher on a ski trip to Utah Click here (https://jp2trails.com/trip/utah-ski-retreat/)
🏔️ Want to join us on one of our pilgrimages? Click here (http://tobpilgrimages.com/)
🌟 For professional Catholic Life Coaching, including Porn Recovery: https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/ (https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/)
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]
Find Christopher West on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cwestofficial) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/cwestofficial).
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute (http://www.tobinstitute.org).
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-christopher-west/id1448699486). 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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GI1XK7viPMV36eBBNjxoKqzCENSRVyR1IoLpX6lqrw/edit?usp=sharing).
Featuring music by Mike Mangione (https://www.mikemangione.com/).
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53:18
Wedding Hypocrisy, Mystery of Confession & Feminine Body, and Desire Gap Between Couples | ACW317
Questions answered this episode:
1. I’m discerning marriage with a wonderful girl and I discovered a hurt in my heart that I wasn’t fully conscious of. While growing up I was always scandalized and nauseated every time I perceived hypocrisy from others, especially in marriage celebrations. I knew that all the display of vanity that society prescribes is about appearance and virtue signaling to others. The spouses are expected to give some sort of public performance showing their great love story and fulfillment of personal projects. At the thought that I will have to live this I still get nauseated and angry. The whole process of preparing the celebration takes more than a year where I live. I wish I felt differently about it and I wish I could be a part of a community that lives and thinks differently about this. How can I heal?
2. A few months ago, I began to go to Confession every time I started my cycle but after attending the Marian Mystery Course, I wonder if there’s more truth to that practice than I originally thought. Is there or could there be a connection between a woman’s body going through a type of painful purification in order to receive her husband and conceive life to God’s church being called to purify their souls in confession in order to receive God’s gift of eternal life in the Eucharist.
3. I am a relationship therapist. I struggle when couples come to me regarding discrepancies in sex drive. Most often, the issue is that the man wants sex, the woman denies it and the man pouts and potentially becomes very upset. Do you have any thoughts about how I can help these couples?
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.
🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body (https://www.tobforfree.com)
📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty (www.eatingthesunrise.com)
⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community (https://tobpatron.com)!
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com (http://www.askchristopherwest.com).
Resources mentioned this week:
TOBI COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/)
Join ChristJP2 Trails (https://jp2trails.com/trip/utah-ski-retreat/)
JPII Legacy Foundation Website (https://www.jp2legacy.org/)
Please reach out to Dave Sloan for info on the John Paul II Legacy Foundation: [email protected]
Click here if you’d like to make a gift to the St. John Paul II Legacy Foundation (https://secure.myvanco.com/L-ZN01/campaign/C-15133)
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute)
📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/) to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE (https://shop.corproject.com/collections/best-sellers/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage) by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.
🏔️ Want to join us on one of our pilgrimages? Click here (http://tobpilgrimages.com/)
🌟 For professional Catholic Life Coaching, including Porn Recovery: https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/ (https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/)
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]
Find Christopher West on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cwestofficial) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/cwestofficial).
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute (http://www.tobinstitute.org).
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-christopher-west/id1448699486). 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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GI1XK7viPMV36eBBNjxoKqzCENSRVyR1IoLpX6lqrw/edit?usp=sharing).
Featuring music by Mike Mangione (https://www.mikemangione.com/).
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50:42
Mother’s Grief Meets God’s Presence, Ache of Unseen Love, and "That Sucks" | ACW316
Questions answered this episode:
1. I’m a mother of 5 living children. I’ve lost 2 daughters from miscarriage within the past year. My womb has become a tomb for 2 deeply desired little girls. I was unable to hold my baby girl after the first miscarriage, but my second loss occurred after 16 weeks. My body did not detect the loss and I was induced to deliver her at almost 20 weeks. She was perfectly formed and my husband and I were able to spend hours with her. A couple of days later when my milk came in, my own body was begging to give her what she needed. Death is the barrier between our bodies meeting each other’s needs as baby and mama. In between her birth and burial there was a time where I was able to hold her and had the most profound experience with the Holy Spirit I’ve ever live. This experience allowed me to praise God at a moment where that’s the least I wanted to do. My heart is torn out. Do you have any insight?
2. I’m struggling with a recurring issue: I’ll come to know or get acquainted with some girl who I will develop a crush on. From there I’ll start to dream about dating, marrying and creating a family with her. However this will usually give way to a sinking realization that not only will it very likely not come to pass but that she’ll be gone very soon and I’ll never see her again. I pray for these women hoping that in heaven I’ll be reunited with them. Is there anything else you’d recommend in this situation?
3. It recently dawned on me that saying “that sucks” likely originated from a vulgar sexual act. I’ve been using these words and casual speech with all sorts of people. Lately, I’ve been thinking about speaking modestly and wondering wether using this phrase might be sinful. I understand it would be rude and uncharitable to tell someone they suck, but if someone’s going through a tough time, can I in good conscience say to them “that sucks”? Is this an expression I should avoid saying? Could you shed some light on this topic?
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.
🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body (https://www.tobforfree.com)
📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty (www.eatingthesunrise.com)
⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community (https://tobpatron.com)!
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com (http://www.askchristopherwest.com).
Resources mentioned this week:
TOBI COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/)
Join ChristJP2 Trails (https://jp2trails.com/trip/utah-ski-retreat/)
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute)
📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/) to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE (https://shop.corproject.com/collections/best-sellers/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage) by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.
🏔️ Want to join us on one of our pilgrimages? Click here (http://tobpilgrimages.com/)
🌟 For professional Catholic Life Coaching, including Porn Recovery: https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/ (https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/)
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]
Find Christopher West on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cwestofficial) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/cwestofficial).
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute (http://www.tobinstitute.org).
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-christopher-west/id1448699486). 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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GI1XK7viPMV36eBBNjxoKqzCENSRVyR1IoLpX6lqrw/edit?usp=sharing).
Featuring music by Mike Mangione (https://www.mikemangione.com/).
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52:10
Contraception Conflicts in Marriage, Healing from Sexual Abuse for Men, and Restoring Intimacy After Pregnancy | ACW315
Questions answered this episode:
I’m a part of a pro-life non-profit organization. Even though my journey began in 2015, it was only recently that I discovered the potentially abortive nature of many contraceptives leading me to remove my IUD. I’m married to a good husband. Unfortunately, he believes society’s message that even within marriage the responsible thing to do is to use contraception when not ready. He understands that contraception and IUDs are immoral because they can be abortive. When I told him that I want to eliminate all forms of contraception, he got mad at me and told me that I’m becoming an extremist.
I’m a victim of sexual abuse as a child and as a young adult. I know I’m called to marriage but I worry that when I do get there I will be less of a gift to my bride and that the marital embrace will not be what it should be due to the innocence that was taken from me. What advice do you have for me as a man to face this with Mary and continue to open myself to Jesus’ redemption when I feel almost unredeemable?
I got married 3 years ago and we have a little boy. I became pregnant soon after we were married and while the pregnancy wasn’t incredibly difficult, it did have its challenges. Because of this, I fear looking back that my husband and I didn’t learn to communicate or how to love each other well physically. Going into marriage, I believe that it was right to make love when the woman wasn’t fully ready, and I certainly never was during pregnancy. However, after giving birth, it became extremely difficult and almost traumatic. And it became nearly impossible to come together. I actually felt terrible sadness, resentment and anger. I have overcome much of this but I still feel hurt form those years. For women who dread making love or don’t enjoy it, how can a husband and wife help each other understand the other and approach this problem lovingly?
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.
🔥 Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body (https://www.tobforfree.com)
📕 Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty (www.eatingthesunrise.com)
⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community (https://tobpatron.com)!
Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com (http://www.askchristopherwest.com).
Resources mentioned this week:
Laila & Vinny Sousa (https://linktr.ee/tdcimagodei)
🎥 Check out our YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/@TheologyoftheBodyInstitute)
📚 View our COURSE SCHEDULE (https://tobinstitute.org/programs/tobi-schedule/) to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!
📘 GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE (https://shop.corproject.com/collections/best-sellers/products/good-news-about-sex-and-marriage) by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.
🏔️ Want to join us on one of our pilgrimages? Click here (http://tobpilgrimages.com/)
🌟 For professional Catholic Life Coaching, including Porn Recovery: https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/ (https://www.stevemotylcoaching.com/)
If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: [email protected]
Find Christopher West on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/cwestofficial) and Instagram (http://www.instagram.com/cwestofficial).
Discover the Theology of the Body Institute (http://www.tobinstitute.org).
If you enjoy the podcast, help us out by writing a review (https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ask-christopher-west/id1448699486). 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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/11GI1XK7viPMV36eBBNjxoKqzCENSRVyR1IoLpX6lqrw/edit?usp=sharing).
Featuring music by Mike Mangione (https://www.mikemangione.com/).
Since the early 90's, author and speaker Christopher West has devoted his life to spreading John Paul II's revolutionary teaching on human life, love, and sexuality: The Theology of the Body. His beloved wife Wendy, mother of their five children, has served as his confidante, friend, and support through these long years of ministry. In this podcast, Christopher and Wendy combine their wisdom to tackle the toughest questions dealing with vocation, sexuality, marriage, and the Catholic faith.
Support the mission of Christopher and Theology of the Body Institute by becoming a Patron! Join our Patron Community at TOBPatron.com (http://tobpatron.com/).
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