Ask Christopher West

Wife Blessings, Parenthood Roles and Dating Non-Catholics | ACW247

September 25th, 2023  |  38 mins 37 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• 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 based on selfishness or prudence. Do you have any advice?

Cohabitation, Scarred Sexuality and Alzheimer's | ACW246

September 18th, 2023  |  39 mins 11 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• 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 I look at him I don’t recognize him. What does our faith teach us about mental disease?
  

Lingerie in Marriage | ACW245

September 12th, 2023  |  48 mins 26 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• 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 the spouses is in a state of grace and the other is not?
• What does the Theology of the Body have to say about lingerie?

The Horrors that Christ Endured | ACW244

September 4th, 2023  |  48 mins 12 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

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 have recommended a hysterectomy. What is the Church's position on this?

How To Heal a Stoic Heart | ACW243

August 28th, 2023  |  50 mins 42 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

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 about when her next menstrual cycle will come and are wondering if we'll have to wait until her next cycle so that we can consumate our marriage. Why is God putting us in this situation?

Intimacy In Dating | ACW242

August 21st, 2023  |  42 mins 53 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• How has doing this podcast together impacted you as a couple?
• How can I balance intimacy in the context of dating without adopting a mentality of how far can we go?
• Should hormonal birth control always be avoided?

Betrayed By My Body | ACW241

August 14th, 2023  |  50 mins 27 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I recently became a mother but now I feel like I lost a sense of my personhood. How can I embrace my life as a mother while still honoring my person?
• My wife went through medical procedures that made it impossible for her to have intercourse. What are our options for sexual intimacy as a couple?
• I’ve been married for 3 years but haven’t been able to conceive and I feel betrayed by my body. Do you have any advice?

You Cannot Give What You Don't Have | ACW240

August 7th, 2023  |  50 mins 58 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• I've been overwhelmed by the call to leadership as a husband, father, and professional. Do you have any advice?
• I'm going through a rough patch in my relationship with my boyfriend. I feel disappointed and anxious about the thought of losing this relationship. Could you offer some wisdom?
• I struggle with lust. I want to be honest with my wife but whenever I bring these things up, she shuts down. Can you help me?

Theology of the BodyBuilder | ACW239

July 31st, 2023  |  39 mins 50 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

-Question 1: I'm a bodybuilder, and I see both the good and the bad in this pursuit. Is there a way to integrate my life of faith with my passion for bodybuilding?
-Question 2: I went through a life-threatening condition during childbirth that is making my husband and me reconsider how we approach sexual intimacy. Do you have any advice?
-Question 3: I recently started an intentional relationship, and I know that at some point we'll need to have more intimate conversations. Do you have any advice on how to talk about sex without it being an occasion for sin?

Did Jesus Suffer As Much As SA Victims? | ACW238

July 24th, 2023  |  55 mins 32 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• Sexual abuse is a punishment almost worse than death. How can TOB explain that Jesus truly understands the deep pain endured by people who have suffered sexual abuse.
• I'm a young adult man drawn to a friend. I am not as physically attracted to her. Is physical attraction less important than other aspects?
• Was woman punished more severly than man after the fall?

Gender Stereotypes | ACW237

July 17th, 2023  |  1 hr 31 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

A Heart That Gives Itself To Those In Misery | ACW236

July 10th, 2023  |  33 mins 5 secs

catholic, catholic answers, catholic podcast, catholic questions, christian, christopher west, faith formation, faith questions, john paul ii, jpii, theology of the body, theology of the body institute

• Is there a bad type of eros or is this only a form of porneia?
• I had a vasectomy because my wife had a heart condition that would put her life at risk if she happened to get pregnant. I went to a priest and he left me feeling hopeless. Was the way he reacted consistent with gravity of the mistake we made as a couple?
• Sometimes painful memories from past relationships come to mind and I feel like I’m betraying God. Is this normal?