Ask Christopher West

Is there such a thing as being a "gay Christian"? What resources do recommend for addressing the issue of homosexuality? Does the age gap matter when it comes to dating? 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. Pre-Order God Is Beauty by Saint John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)! Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: Dear Christopher and Wendy, I've been an avid listener of your exceptional offerings to the body of Christ. God continues to use you in the way I think, believe and trust in Jesus. Thank you! I've come out of a gay identity that defined me for over two decades, which intersected with my marriage. Back in 1995 I confessed to my wife of 7 years that I was unfaithful to her for most of our marriage at that time. My struggle was inward and silent, yet with very destructive and sinful behaviors. After confessing to her I soon began walking the narrow path of healing with the help of Desert Stream/Living Waters. God has done miraculous work in me and my marriage: now 32 years and counting with 4 amazing children. Praise God! I offer this background for context of my question. There is a relatively new movement within the Catholic and Protestant church that offers a place for those struggling with same-sex-attraction to be labeled or identified as "gay Christian celibates." These ones want to follow Jesus and the orthodox teachings on marriage, yet they remain resolute in their belief that they are gay. Can you speak to two things: 1. Is celibacy an avenue to NOT pursue an integrated anthropology rooted in our creation as God's image bearers? What are your thoughts on being a "gay Christian?" Question 2: I have listened to your audiobook on OUR BODIES TELL GOD'S STORY, it's really good. Could you please direct me to some of your material or podcasts that address the current worldview on what I think is misguided reality in discussing sexuality and gender identity. With the books out there like TORN or GOD AND THE GAY CHRISTIAN, they don't even come close to describing how or what God designed our sexuality to be. What can you recommend that addresses these issues? Qestion 3: Hi Christopher and Wendy. First, thank you for the gift of your podcast and insight, the Lord has used you as a platform to speak truth to me. My question is in relation to dating. I am a 27 year old woman and consider myself devoted to the Catholic faith. I recently met a man at my church who, through talking with him, how he speaks of his faith experience and seeing him at daily mass, is also "on fire" for the faith. He is 39 years old. Given our conversations and friendship which is very solidified in our shared devotion to the Lord, I can tell that he is interested in potentially pursuing something more with me beyond just friendship. I have been praying to God for a holy, Catholic man who challenges me personally and in the faith, which I feel this man has done so far as my friend. My only hesitation is the age difference. I don't know if the Lord is calling me to date this person and I worry that my rumination on the age difference of 12 years is clouding my ability to truly discern what the Lord is trying to speak to me. I my biggest concern is what others think, which I know sounds silly and I am praying that the Lord releases me of this anxiety. Could you offer any insight about dating somebody who is this much older ? Does age difference truly matter in dating if both are bringing each other closer to the Lord? Thank you again. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Pre-Order God Is Beauty by Saint John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)! Register for Sexual Integration & Redemption offered by Theology of the Body Institute and Desert Stream Check out more from Desert Stream Ministries Man and Woman He Created Them: A Theology of the Body by Saint John Paul II Theology of the Body Explained by Christopher West Theology of the Body for Beginners by Christopher West Fill These Hearts by Christopher West View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

I had a very good family growing up – why do I feel so wounded? Are all sexual sins mortal? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: I grew up in a relatively good home. I did lose my mother when I was 9-years-old to ovarian cancer which certainly had an impact on my life. But, otherwise, there weren’t any alarming markers of major dysfunction. That being said, I am so hurt and broken. Much of my pain comes from seemingly small childhood wounds and current wounds within my familial relationships. I used to blame it on my sensitivity; that I was hurt too easily. My question is, is it wrong to think that perhaps my pain and woundedness seems more than it ought to be because even a “relatively good home” is still far from what God intends family to be? I was listening to Dr. Bob Schutes talk about wounds and just became overwhelmed at the amount of pain and brokenness even people from good homes may harbor. I would love to hear your thoughts. Question 2: Thank you so much for this podcast and all you do at the Theology of the Body Institute. My question has been troubling my mind and heart for quite some time now. In various Catholic materials I’ve read, for example guides to an examination of conscience, I’ve been told that “every sexual sin” is a mortal sin or at least a grave matter. I can never get a straight answer on whether this statement is theologically accurate. If it’s true, then I fear that each and every sexual union with my spouse, if God calls me to marriage, would be a near occasion of sin instead of an opportunity for grace. I’m worried that if I enter the embrace with even a tiny shred of lust or selfishness I will be committing a mortal sin. Do you have any thoughts or clarifications on the dilemma of mine? If I never get to a state where I am 100% lust free, is it better not to marry at all? Qestion 3: In the Theology of the Body Institute Store, there are some beautiful art pieces by Beth West. Is this Beth your daughter? Could we hear from her what inspired her to paint each of these pieces? As a woman in formation, I am particularly interested in “The Bridegroom in the Garden.” The description of the art piece alone contains a whole lecture of Theology of the Body in it. I would love to know how Beth was inspired and what the process of painting it was like for her. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! Bridegroom in the Garden by Beth West Instagram: @beth_rose_art If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: My 4-year-old son asked me if the Blessed Mother died. I didn’t know how to answer that so I asked my husband. He told me that I can choose what to believe because she didn’t have to die but she could choose to die like her son, we only know that she went to sleep. What do you think? Did she die or not? Does she already have her glorified body? Question 2: How should I respond when someone is speaking about their physical attraction to another person? I always feel unequipped to navigate such conversations. I believe there is goodness to be discovered but am often inclined to cut it short. What do you think is going on in me? Qestion 3: Hi Christopher and Wendy! Could you please define eros and agape? I watched Christopher’s video on YouTube where he says that eros is meant to express agape. I also gathered from the video that eros is the desire for unification and that it is meant to change us. Is that correct? But how do you live eros, this desire for unification, when physical unification is not possible? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: The Two Faces of Love: Eros and Agape View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

What are your insights on tying in Theology of the Body, the Eucharist and the Assumption of Mary? What advice do you have for grieving a miscarriage? What is meant by, "wives submit to your husbands"? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: This year's readings bring us into the Bread of Life discourse, culminating in conjunction with Ephesians 5, the Great Mystery. This year, however, the readings are broken up with the Assumption of Mary. I'm doing teachings on the Eucharist, and plan to bring up the marital component with Ephesians 5. What are your insights on tying in Theology of the Body, the Eucharist and the Assumption of Mary? Question 2: Hi Christopher and Wendy. Recently, my husband and I found out at my 20-week ultrasound that our son has a deformity incompatible with life. I will be carrying him however long he survives in the womb or until my due date, and he will die shortly after. We are devastated as this was our first child and the pregnancy up to this point was perfectly normal. I sometimes feel that we’ll never find true joy again in life when such a sorrowful thing is happening to our family. Any advice at all that can help us grieve and get through this time would be appreciated. Qestion 3: I saw your video about wives submitting to their husbands: to be submissive to his mission. What if your husband is not Catholic? I don’t want to give up my faith for his mission. Please tell me I don’t have to give up the fullness of my faith. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

How do you give someone a chance without leading them on? How do I explain the difference between sacred nude art and pornography 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: I am a freelance video producer working mainly with advocacy groups and I recently received an invitation to bid on a project about HIV. I expressed my interest to bid and went on to do my research. In the middle of doing the sample storyboard, I found out that the project was not only about treatment of HIV but also about prevention in the form of daily medicine called PrEP. It's a pill that an HIV-negative person takes along with condoms so he or she can go on with his or her chosen lifestyle. That stopped me for a while. Would this project be good for me? Would I be advocating for same sex activities by doing this? Would I be committing a sin? Thank you so much for reading this and God bless you. Question 2: Christopher and Wendy, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom and helping us understand the world and our relationships in the light of God's Word! I’m wondering, what is the role of attraction in a romantic relationship? I certainly believe that faith and character are more important in a potential spouse than looks or personality. When I am pursued by a man with excellent character, I'll give him a chance even if I'm not initially attracted to him. If that attraction never develops and I find myself dreading spending time with him, I'll end things. But then he'll be upset and say I led him on. I feel guilty for hurting him, and I feel selfish for giving up on someone who is godly and maybe would even make a great husband and father. Is it selfish to value personality, interests, and looks in a potential spouse? And how do you give someone a chance without unintentionally deceiving or hurting them? Qestion 3: How do I explain to someone the difference between looking at art, say in the Sistine Chapel, of the naked body versus a playboy centerfold? They feel there is no logic to one being good, and one being bad. How do I show them the difference? How do I give them an answer that is logical? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Dustin Hoffman on Tootsie View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

How can NFP bring healing in marriage? What can I say in a short conversation to introduce people to TOB? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: Christopher and Wendy, Thank you for all the work you put into this podcast. I always learn so much from you both and frequently recommend your show to others. I have returned to my faith within the last five years, and have a dark sexual past that I am still struggling to heal from. Thanks be to God, I was recently engaged to a wonderful, holy man that has shown me so much about the love of Christ in our relationship. Something that has brought me a lot of distress lately is trying to implement Natural Family Planning as my fiancé and I prepare for marriage. A lot of the responsibility of NFP falls on women since they are the ones tracking their fertility signs, and this greater amount of responsibility scares me and makes me feel resentful. It reminds of times where I had to take control of my fertility to protect myself from men who used and discarded me. I know my fiancé has the best intentions with our family life, but I am struggling to see how NFP can bring cohesion in marriage as I feel it creating confusion, isolation, and disconnection in my life based on m y past wounds. Question 2: I’m a new listener to your podcast and I am devouring it. I have been on a journey over the last four years trying to understand the churches teaching on sexuality and marriage after my oldest daughter announced to me that she was in love with a woman and is actively in a gay relationship. I finally found the courage last December to stand firm in front of my daughter and share with her my belief that sex is intended by God to be sacred conduct between a man and a woman in a marriage. It was the hardest conversation I’ve ever had in my life. Since then, I found that not all Catholics believe the Church’s teaching on marriage and chastity. What can I say in a short conversation to get these Catholics thinking? I feel I can’t remain silent on this beautiful teaching of the Church. I want all Catholics to understand it and see it for its beauty. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Do you have any resources to recommend for approaching body image and an eating disordered past with Theology of the Body? What is the definition of masculinity and femininity? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: Dear Christopher and Dear Wendy, thank you for the wonderful work you do. I love to listen to you two while driving; I feel you are part of my family. My husband and I are practicing catholics and saved ourelves from sex until we were married. My husband is a holy man, I think of St. Joseph when I see him. He is always giving his life for me and our children through loving sacrifice and gift of himself. This is why I want to make him happy and I struggle with the following situation. During our marital embrace, my husband has never felt his own climax even though he ejaculates, he cannot feel anything. I often suggest to him that we look for help to figure out what is wrong, but he insists he accepts this as a mortification, that helps him not focus on the pleasure but on the love he has for me. I know the end of the sexual embrace is not the pleasure, but God wanted that pleasure to be there for a reason. Should we look for help? Should we accept it and let it be? Is it wrong to let it be? Thank you and God bless you. Question 2: Do you have any resources to recommend for approaching body image and an eating disordered past with Theology of the Body? Although I do not have an eating disorder any more, praise God, I still have wounds from my past in these areas and after praying about this for some time and listening to your podcast, I am certain that Theology of the Body and the healing of Jesus in the Eucharist are a necessary part of the healing process. I would love some guidance on where to start with this. Thank you so much for considering my question and God bless you. Qestion 3: My question is this: What is masculinity and femininity? a definition perhaps? What does the Church say? Are they complete binaries only found within their corresponding gender? I have often observed that sometimes a man may seemingly possess more feminine characteristics than other men and that some women seem more masculine than other women, not just on a superficial level but more so in their character. Why might this be? If both masculinity and femininity come from God would it make sense to find aspects of each "intertwined" within one person regardless of gender? Lastly, does masculinity and femininity become more pure the holier we become? I have a feeling that my understanding of these concepts is a little mixed up and I would love to hear your thoughts on these mysteries. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

How do you advise we teach our children the solid and clear truth about same sex attraction with mercy? How do I heal from my husband's pornography addiction? Is it immoral for someone to take birth control as hormone therapy if she is naturally infertile? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: I'm one of the lucky people that attended the Theology of the Body 1 course in Madrid. It was both a blessing and a dream came true being there with you. I have a work coleague with same sex attraction, who has become a father through a surrogate pregnancy. Being honest, I don’t feel comfortable having him and his child visiting with my children, as I find his way of life wrong and can confuse my kids, but at the same time, I also think this is not merciful. He and his child are dearly loved by God. The children are not guilty of the sins of their parents. How do you advise we teach our children solid and clear truth with mercy so they can learn to deal with these people. Question 2: I've been looking for resources to recover from the porn addiction of my husband. I found good psychological resources that helped a little but I'm in need of something more. I have trauma because of my husband's acting out and it brings a lot of trouble into the relationship because my husband is unable to help me and support me. The psychological resources have a lot of ''focus on you first'' kind of approach. Boundaries, self-care, expectations of what a betraying husband should do to repair the damage done etc... As time goes by I feel more and more that I will need a ''sacrificial love'' kind of approach but it is not taught anywhere. I'm a little afraid of the future. I feel that I can't trust him and never will. I want communion with him. I want the marriage that God wants for us but I'm not sure that my husband thinks this deep. Aside from focusing on me and taking care of me, what should I do to heal, or at least be able to give myself the most I can even if my hurt is never healed? Qestion 3: Hi Christopher and Wendy! Thank you for your diligent work applying the Theology of the Body to Christian life. It has been such a blessing to me! My sister has a genetic disorder called Turner's Syndrome. It means that she’s missing the full genetic material for her second sex chromosome. Because she was born with this disease, she is naturally infertile and will never have biological children. As a part of her treatment, she has begun hormone therapy using birth control. Her doctors say this treatment is necessary, otherwise she could have more serious health problems from not having a menstrual cycle each month. Here are my questions: Since she is already infertile and is not intentionally intervening with her fertility, is there a moral wrong with her being on birth control as a hormone treatment? I have talked many times with my mother about church teachings on contraception and my personal skepticism of the effectiveness of this sort of treatment. Do you know of any resources I could share with my mother and sister on alternative hormone treatments? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: Matt Fradd Freedom Coaching Dr. Bob Schutes [Pope Paul VI Institute](www.popepaulvi.com) View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

How can sex be unitive when it's used so often as a weapon? Is there and real freedom from sexual sin outside of death? How can marriage be a path to holiness? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: After six years in a sexually and emotionally abusive relationship, full of porn, manipulation, and rape, I struggle with the concept of sex as a unitive act. The procreative part makes sense, but I cannot see sex as unitive. I am getting married (not to the abuser) soon and I am terrified I will disappoint him by failing to give him a meaningful experience, but I just don't see how it can be meaningful. My question is, why and how is sex unitive? How can couples call it "the most profound form of communication"? I see praying together as a far higher form of communication, intimacy, and bonding than anything sexual. How does one make an act that is so easily used as a weapon a means of love, intimacy, and unity? Question 2: Hi Christopher and Wendy, I had a weird thought: I think that because I have masturbated in the past I cannot say for sure that I have stopped it forever. I'm trying to control myself and with God's grace and mercy I'm sort of controlling myself but still I think that the only way to come out of it is to die. Am I wrong? Qestion 3: Hi Christopher and Wendy, gosh I can’t begin to thank you for how you have impacted my spiritual journey. What a blessing! Here is my question: Sometimes when I think about marriage, it seems hard that it unlocks some kind of mystery or provides a language to speak of how I am destined to be in complete union with God. It seems that a marriage would shift my focus from this ultimate goal to providing what seems like unnecessary attention to my spouse. I understand that loving others is a form of loving God but I worry that if I am called to marriage, it would be more of a distraction from the ultimate goal rather than being an aid in getting there. How have you worked through this question? Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: [Hope's Garden](www.hopesgarden.com) View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.

Can a Catholic marry a Muslim? Is it possibly to cohabitate chastely? What light can Theology of the Body shine on aging? 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. Want to support the Theology of the Body Institute and have a better chance of us answering your question? Join our Patron Community! Patron Question: Can a Catholic marry a Muslim? If so, how? And if not, why not? Question 2: I have two questions. The first is in regards to chaste cohabitation and whether this is permissible or not. For context, my partner and I converted and came to faith last August (in 2020). At the end of September we made the decision to live chastely and hope to marry. I homeschool my children from a previous relationship and do not work. We plan to get married, but my partner was in a civil marriage and he’s in the process of divorce. So for us to live separately would mean me stopping my kids’ homeschool program and going back to work. My second question is whether this civil union still needs to be annulled? Qestion 3: Thank you Christopher and Wendy, for sharing this Good News so beautifully with all of us. I wonder if you could share some of your reflections on the theology of the aging body. I work as a primary care provider in the medical field and spend a lot of my time with the elderly, many of whom are struggling with the aging process and the pain and suffering that often accompanies old age. Dementia is particularly difficult on the person and loved ones as the person seems to become almost a shell of their former self, in some way. I Would appreciate any reflections on what light the Theology of the Body can shine on this issue. Submit your question at AskChristopherWest.com. Resources mentioned this week: GOOD NEWS ABOUT SEX & MARRIAGE View our COURSE SCHEDULE to register for a course, ONLINE or IN-PERSON! If you are in financial need and honestly cannot afford a book or resource recomended on this podcast, contact: michele@tobinstitute.org 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! 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. Featuring music by Mike Mangione.