Questions answered this episode:

1. You often say to bring desires to Jesus or Mary, but when I do, nothing happens. Prayer, stillness, and adoration haven’t helped. Years of silence have made me see Jesus less as a loving bridegroom and more as someone withholding, disappearing at my slightest mistake. I know that’s not who He is, but I can’t shake the image. I want to love God for Himself, not His gifts, but sometimes I want to harden my heart to avoid feeling. Pornography has touched my deep desires in ways God hasn’t. Even when sober, He feels distant, and I can’t find a holy substitute.
2. As a Catholic trying to live purity and modesty, is extended private nudity unadvisable? I know it’s likely not sinful in itself, but it could be a near occasion of sin, especially for unmarried people. As a college-aged man, I’ve struggled with pornography and masturbation, which has led me to feel a certain disdain for my genitals. I wonder if spending more time unclothed in private could help me appreciate my body as God created it, or if it would invite temptation given my past. What about sleeping in the nude—would that be harmless or spiritually risky for me?
3. I believe arousal is a beautiful, God-given reaction when kept pure. But I’ve accidentally reached sexual climax with my boyfriend, and I struggle to know when my body is close. For example, after a gentle goodbye kiss and embrace, I walked away and unexpectedly experienced an orgasm. I knew I was aroused, but didn’t realize it was that strong. I’m deeply in love and attracted to him, but I didn’t know I was that aroused. Is this irresponsibility, or a lack of knowledge of my own body and heart? How should I understand and handle these moments?

1. Resources:

   https://nationalcatholicsingles.com/

   Grand Canyon by Jay & Jo

   
   

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   If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: ⁠⁠michele@tobinstitute.org⁠⁠

   ⁠List of trusted counselors & psychologists⁠

Questions answered this episode:

1. After divorcing my husband over his unhealed pornography addiction, my sons now stay with him and his civil wife. I’m seeking guidance on how to protect and mentor them spiritually amid confusing messages from their father.
2. If God made us sexual and romantic in His image, and intimacy reflects the Trinity, why do you say God is not sexual?
3. I struggle to be aroused with my wife without degrading fantasies. I know they’re sinful—how can I overcome them?

Resources:

JPII Legacy Foundation Website

CCC 370

CCC 42

CCC 239

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.

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🔥 ⁠⁠⁠Get 3 FREE sessions of our flagship course on Theology of the Body⁠⁠⁠

📕 ⁠⁠⁠Get a copy of Christopher's Eating the Sunrise: Meditations on the Liturgy & Our Hunger for Beauty⁠⁠⁠

⚡️ Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? ⁠⁠⁠Join our Patron Community!⁠⁠⁠

---

Submit you question here!

---

🎥 Check out our ⁠⁠⁠YouTube Channel⁠⁠⁠

📚 View our ⁠⁠COURSE SCHEDULE⁠⁠ to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON!

📘 ⁠⁠GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE⁠⁠ by Christopher West. Use discount code MARRIAGE during checkout for 20% off one or multiple copies.

🏔️ ⁠⁠Join us on one of our pilgrimages!⁠⁠

If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recommended on this podcast, contact: ⁠⁠michele@tobinstitute.org⁠⁠

⁠List of trusted counselors & psychologists⁠

Questions answered this episode:

1. How does Theology of the Body relate to the apophatic tradition of imageless, silent prayer? If we're meant to go beyond concepts and detach even from meditation, how can a theology so rooted in the body inform contemplative prayer?
2. Though I'm happily married, I still feel haunted by a deep emotional bond with a female friend from my past. Why does this longing persist, and how can I find freedom from it?
3. My husband has been sober from porn for 8 years, but his heart remains closed off. After nearly 39 years of marriage, where can we find the outside help and healing we still need?

Resources:

JPII Legacy Foundation Website

Freedom Coaching

Hope’s Garden

Marriage Missionaries

The Alexander House