Ask Christopher West

Making Peace with Girlfriend’s Past, True Respect in the Bedroom, & Favorite Musicians in Heaven | ACW307

November 18th, 2024  |  52 mins 21 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

1. I’m a 21 year old college student. I’m struggling to make peace with my girlfriend’s sexual past. I’ve experienced healing but remain very wounded. My girlfriend repents of her past but has also lied to me about some of the details she has shared. Some of those details I find deeply troubling. On the one hand, I understand we should show mercy, embrace the wounds of those we love and remind them that they are not defined by their mistakes. On the other hand, I can’t help but feel disgusted. I’m invaded with thoughts of her past actions and I feel no desire for her any more. I want to love her well but I can’t seem to overcome this. Do you have any advice?
2. I’m 48 and in the world of dating after divorce and annulment. While I know that life & pregnancy is the purpose of the marital embrace, at my age it is unlikely to happen. How do I convey that to someone who is likely thinking that at our age the act is purely for pleasure. Is it enough for a spouse to just “respect me in the bedroom”?
3. How do you pray for your favorite musicians? How can heaven be heaven if there’s a possibility of my favorite musicians not being there?

Fear of Marriage, Husband Opposed to Tubal Ligation Reversal, and Fear of Pushing Boyfriend Away | ACW306

November 11th, 2024  |  41 mins 29 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

1. My girlfriend and I have been dating for almost 2 years now. She’s in her second year of medical school. We both desire a chaste relationship. We both have a good understanding of the TOB but also fail to live it at times. Now that we've started to talk about marriage, sometimes she feels like she’s ready but there are also times when she shares that she thinks she doesn't want to have children and to get married. Do you have any insights?
2. I've been married for 19 years. My husband and I have four children. We attended a healing program after an affair 12 years ago and I had a tubal ligation after my fourth C-section when I was told it would be "unsafe" to have any more children. The Lord has been working in my life and my husband’s over the past few years. I’ve been pursuing a tubal reversal but he is not in agreement. He will l not tell me no to do it because he says it is my body and doesn’t want me to resent him. He is resistant and is comfortable with contraception. Do I continue to move forward with the reversal without his support?
3. I’m currently going through a conversion process. I realize that I committed many sins in the past and I’ve made decisions to let go of certain things in my life. There's one thing, though, that keeps causing me anxiety every day. I'm in a committed relationship with my boyfriend and we've been together for three years and living together for 1 year. We're talking about marriage, but it won't happen anytime soon. He’s not going through the same conversion process as me and is very skeptical towards the Church. Ironically, it has been his love and godly values that have drawn me closer to Jesus. He is a christian, but doesn’t believe in the laws and so on. I'm scared of asking him for us to not have sex until we get married. I fear this will push him away from me and from our faith. I don't want to put our relationship on the line because I feel deep down that we were put together by God's will but I also don’t want to keep sinning by having sex when I also know that that offends God.

Lingerie in Marriage, Stretch Marks, and Spiritual & Physical Intimacy with God | ACW305

November 4th, 2024  |  39 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

1. What role does lingerie have in the intimate union of man & wife? Can it be a beautiful & holy part of the marital embrace? If so, how?
2. My wife and I have had our first baby recently and along with that blessing there have been some difficult changes for our early 20’s. My wife is struggling with body image issues. Unfortunately she has severe stretch marks across her abdomen as a result of the pregnancy. Acquaintances have made her feel bad about herself. She expresses concerns that I might find her ugly but I do my best to assure her that this is not the case. My love and affection for her has only grown seeing her become a mother. How can I help her see the beauty of God’s plan in all of this?
3. What exactly do you mean when you say that intimacy within marriage is a reflection of God’s love? Does God want to have intimacy with us but spiritually instead of physically?

Sexual Past of Fiancé, Moral Teaching of the Church, and Medical Student With Porn Struggle | ACW304

October 28th, 2024  |  47 mins 49 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

1. My fiancé shared more with me about his past and surprisingly I was calm and received him with mercy. I’m not sure if it was the initial shock of hearing him share these vulnerable moments of his past or because I had previously wondered and assumed there was some sexual brokenness there. I thank God for my response and hope that my fiancé seeing me receive him with mercy brings more healing. I know in the past when he shared difficult things with me I initially felt calm but would later experience so much pain wondering about his previous relationships. How can we deal with these things in the future?
2. We are protestants who are taking RCIA and learning about Catholicism. We’re reading your book “Good News About Sex & Marriage” and I was wondering if you could explain how Church authority & moral teaching relate to what is found in Scripture. Does the Church get its moral teaching from the Bible?
3. I am a health scientist student. I struggled with porn & lustful thoughts. In this upcoming semester there are units on female health. This would include topics regarding the female breasts and genitals. I’m worried that my past will come back during these units. Would it be responsible for me to excuse myself during these units? I know that these images and videos are not intended to be pornographic, but is it possible that they would be pornographic for me? Is pornographic imagery relative to the viewer?

Eve Out for the Rib, Am I Too Uptight?, and Loving My Husband After an Affair | ACW303

October 22nd, 2024  |  44 mins 54 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

1. Is there a particular theological significance of Eve being created from a rib out of Adam’s side?
2. My boyfriend enjoys watching videos & movies that fall into the comedy category, which is not my favorite genre. This is not something I enjoy. There are times when I find these movies painful to my heart because of the content they have. Am I just being too uptight? Should I try to be more open?
3. A few years ago, before I was Catholic, I got to a place that was so dark that led me to have an affair. My marriage is in a stage of reconciliation. I have an amazing husband to walk this journey with me. How do I open myself up to him and be comfortable loving him with the same body that I used to hurt him so badly?

TOB Elevator Pitch, Young Mother Open to Dating & Genuine Connection of Those With SSA | ACW302

October 15th, 2024  |  53 mins 44 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

1. What is a good elevator pitch for the Theology of the Body?
2. I became pregnant at 17. With the help of my parents and a pregnancy resource center, my son and I have been able to have a very happy life. He’s now 2 and I’m about to turn 20. I’m not with the father of my child. He sees his son from time to time but I’m the one who cares for him. I’m okay with this, but I just don’t know when or how would be the right way to start dating again. I’ve been single since my pregnancy began. I’ve also done a lot of work with myself and became closer to Mary & Jesus. I feel ready to meet new people but I’m not sure how to go about that. I feel isolated in my situation. Do you have any advice?
3. Can the deep genuine connection between “homosexuals” become holy by refraining from sinful behavior? What would the Church suggest for these couples to do?

M*sturbation & Using Oneself, Inviting the Lord Into Our Shameful Places, and Arranged Marriages | ACW301

October 7th, 2024  |  45 mins 56 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

1. When JPII talks about using another person as a means to an end I always imagine a couple but what happens in the case of a single person who seeks to give pleasure to him or herself? Is the person using him or herself? To what extend does that affect the person or others? Why does this sin leaves a feeling of loneliness?
2. How do I make steps to open those places to the Lord and to know that He’s not repulsed by what will come out and not ashamed of me because of my porn & masturbation addiction?
3. What does TOB have to say about arranged marriages?

ACW300!!! with Questions from Matt & Cameron Fradd, Jason Evert & Fr. Timothy Gallagher | ACW300

September 30th, 2024  |  43 mins 38 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

1. What is one way each of you has grown since you got married and what was that growing process like?
2. What your number one tip for people when discerning a future spouse?
3. What is the experience of writing a book like for you?

Is NFP Sinful?, Diving Into the Mystery of Your Spouse, and Battling Unfaithful Thoughts as a Woman | 299

September 23rd, 2024  |  57 mins 2 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

1. I’m part of a conservative Catholic group on Facebook. I was surprised to find that many Catholics there believe NFP is contraceptive except in the gravest circumstances. When I questioned this philosophy, they said that the fact that God gave them each of their many children is that it would've been sinful if they had abstained during those fertile times. This didn’t sit right with me. I've always felt that NFP gave me and my husband a profound respect for my body, our fertility, and spacing our family in a way that is respectful of everyone’s needs. I think it's responsible to abstain when you know you cannot take care of another baby. What are your thoughts?
2. I am in college and I've never dated. However, I'm trying to build my bank of knowledge so I can be as ready as I can when God entrusts a woman to me. That said, my question is about the metaphors you used in your Jordan Peterson & Ben Shapiro reaction video. I don't understand how one can dive into your spouse’s soul and find undiscovered treasures during sex. How can one do that without using words. How is that possible outside of prayer?
3. I am a 31 year old mother of two beautiful girls and wife to a loving husband. I've struggled with porn and masturbation for many years. Recently I’ve grown deeper in my Catholic faith; doing my best to purify my heart further by diving into my hidden thoughts. I find myself daydreaming and thinking about other men more from emotional fantasy, than from physical attraction. I want to stay mentally faithful to my husband. How can I as woman battle the temptation to have unfaithful thoughts?

Bringing Jesus Into the Marital Embrace & Struggling to Find My Wife Attractive | ACW298

September 16th, 2024  |  1 hr 1 min

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 can I bring Jesus into the marital embrace without envisioning him sexually and in a pure and holy way?
• I’ve been struggling to find my wife attractive. Am I justified expecting my wife to shape up for looks’ sake or even for health’s sake? How much of this is the impact that porn has had on me and my perception of beauty?

When Jesus Doesn’t Have a Body, Balancing Family Worldviews, and Cremation | ACW297

September 9th, 2024  |  50 mins 48 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

1. How can we love Jesus on earth when he doesn’t have a body? How can prayer feel more like a full relationship and not just long distance communication
2. I was homeschooled and raised in a close knit immediate family. We never spent much time with relatives or friends and my parents always sought to solely invest in each other and their children. On the other hand, my husband was raised in a large family where relatives and friendships were very important and he still likes to get together with them. He’s also always willing to get involved with our community and it is hard for me to relate to that. To me, his desire for connection outside our immediate family feels unnatural. How can we embrace these two apparently differing worldviews in our marriage?
3. Is cremation ever acceptable in the Catholic Church?

Ordinary Mysticism, Done Having Kids?, and Buying Catholic Books | ACW296

September 2nd, 2024  |  40 mins 16 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

• What does JPII mean when he talks about Ordinary Mysticism?
• What would your answer be to when people ask “are you done having kids?”
• Is there a preferred method when buying books from Catholic authors?