Doug has a conversation with Archbishop Sheen about his TV show “For Better or Worse”.

What should you do if your spouse always says no to marital intimacy? What if there is conflict about abstaining from intimacy to avoid sin? Doug goes to the mailbag answering these questions and more.

Listener questions and Comments:

• Ray - I am seeing the biggest hinderance in marriage being unrealistic expectations. (21:59)

Doug discusses an email from a woman concerned that her husband works excessively and is pressuring her to take on full-time work as well. She worries this dynamic is harming their marriage and family life. Doug emphasizes the importance of being present for one’s spouse and children and making family a top priority.

Listener questions and comments:

• Josephina - My husband and I are one of the couples who work a lot. I am comparing myself to the lady from the email but at the same time I am also a workaholic sometimes. (19:38)
• Matt - I work 12-15 hours a day and I am in a courtship right now. I find that if you really love them that sacrifice shouldn’t take that much to make it happen. I want to also say that waiting till marriage is so worth it. (23:39)
• Richard - My son wants to get married and the issue we come across is his girlfriend is Catholic but she is not practicing. (28:00)
• Fernando - At what point is doing everything for her happiness not ok if I start suffering? (38:57)
• Rex - I worked in oil and I was a workaholic. You are touching on a lot of issues I went through. If I could go back, I would spend more time with the family. (45:00)

Doug dives into the mailbag to respond to listeners’ reactions from Monday’s discussion about the challenges young men face in today’s dating world. He explores differing perspectives and digs deeper into what’s shaping these experiences.

Listener questions and comments:

• Mary - It’s also Paul Revere’s ride tomorrow! (8:46)
• Mary - My husband and I met and it isn’t a common way that I see people meet. (21:27)
• Julianna - If kids would get with local communities, churches or civil rights activities they could find someone with the same interests. (23:16)
• Natalie - We should do more speed dating events and diocese events. (25:13)
• Ryan - I finally understand the sacrament of Marriage. Growing up I knew the bullet points but I didn’t get what it actually meant. (26:41)
• Angel - Military bases are a good place to find a husband! (36:00)
• Nicole - My husband is not Catholic and I am. Our 1-year-old is baptized but I want to draw my husband into the Church. (37:46)

Resources

Catholic Therapists

https://catholictherapists.com/

Catholic Psychotherapy

https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/

International Forgiveness Institute

https://internationalforgiveness.com/

Are you concerned about how much time you, your spouse or your children spend on screens? Today, Dr. Johann D’Souza joins Doug to discuss the adolescent mental health crisis

Listener questions and comments:

• Joyce - How are these new screens any different from using a TV for generations as the baby sitter. (20:13)
• Chris - I am a high school art teacher. I see a big change in kid's depression and they aren’t as social. (27:13)
• Lucas - I just finished a spiritual retreat without my phone for some time. I wanted to share my experience. (32:07)
• Rich - We have a big family and we have 13. We limited screen time and gave our kids flip phones. it worked out just fine! (43:54)

Resources:

Dr. Johann D’Souza

https://www.johanndsouza.com/

Deacon Joe Grote joins Doug to discuss his book Where Have All The Fathers Gone?

Listener questions and comments:

• Walt - Government policy doesn't help keep fathers in the home. It rewards single parenthood. There should be incentives to keep families together. (18:56)
• Lisa - I wanted to share how my son is a great boy in spite of losing his father. We need fathers but sometimes when there is no options they can still turn out fine. (22:22)
• Elaine - I want to share how great my dad was. He had 10 kids and he was a WWII He taught us to love the faith. He was the rock of the family. (25:20)
• Peter - I think it starts with groundwork before you have the kids. It starts with the desire to be a parent. (37:27)
• Caesar - I was blessed with my father who was from Mexico. He taught me how to treat women and keep my faith. (43:56)

Resources:

Where Have All the Fathers Gone?

https://deaconjoegrote.com/

Emil Deacon Joe

[email protected]

What should you do if you discover your husband has same-sex attraction? Today, Doug tackles this question and more on Marriage Unhindered.

Listener questions and comments:

• John - I thought getting married gets you out of the issue of lust, but it can continue in marriage. (21:50)
• Julie - I have been married to my husband for 25 years and he always uses contraception, but I don’t know how to tell him to stop. (25:59)
• Susan - If you can’t get through to him you aren’t sinning but it’s on him. (32:58)
• Tim - We’ve always been too busy for sex, and my wife is too tired because of her shift. (37:34)
• Josephina - My spouse and I fought because I don’t know if he is still smoking. I found something the other day and I want to know how to approach him so that we don’t fight and we actually see progress. (42:14)

Resources:

Courage International

https://couragerc.org/

Catholic Therapists

https://catholictherapists.com/

Catholic Psychotherapy

https://catholicpsychotherapy.org/

Doug dives into the frustrations many men face with modern dating and the challenges of building a lasting marriage. He breaks down what often goes wrong and why so many feel stuck or discouraged. Through honest insights and practical advice, Doug offers straightforward dating tips to help young men build confidence, and create meaningful relationships.

Listener questions and comments:

• Patrick - I need to emphasize the swearing! It’s gotten so bad. (20:39)
• Tony - I got married at 36 and I wanted to share some advice. It helped when I submitted to God's will. (31:38)
• Kathy - It’s important to continue the respect your wife even after the marriage. (38:11)
• Nicole - Where do the women hang out? (39:31)
• Bill - You can meet a good young woman at a Catholic college. (42:04)
• Karen - My husband and I were an example to a man who had a kid out of wedlock. He married the girl because of our example. We can help as married people by encouraging these kids. (43:58)

Doug explores how lying affects marriages, how to respond, and ways to foster honesty. Listeners share personal experiences, including insights from a recovered liar and the impact of dementia on a spouse’s truthfulness.

Listener questions and comments:

• Junior – I am a reformed liar and want to share my perspective. Confession helped me realize you don’t have to lie. (34:20)
• Paulette – My husband died from dementia and began lying years ago when he couldn’t explain events. I now see his lying as a symptom of the disease. (44:08)

Resources:

Marriage Unhindered

https://www.marriageunhindered.com/

Rekindled Hearts Marriage Bundle

https://relevantradio.store/collections/books/products/marriage-bundle

Happy Marriage for Life

https://www.happymarriageforlife.com/

Fr. Robert Altier joins Doug to discuss the difference between a civil and sacramental marriage and what happens to the souls of a man and woman when they enter into a sacramental marriage.

Listener questions and comments:

• Richard - Does a sacramental marriage require a civil marriage? (13:20)
• Lisette - Follow up: I closed my husband’s laptop and he pushed me out of the room so I called the cops. What do I do now? (15:44)
• Jo - My son's wife left him. is it better to seek divorce or to be standers? (32:30)
• Louanne - If one person thinks the marriage was valid but the other had no intention of keeping it, is the one who thought it was valid obligated to stay? (35:27)
• Tom - If a spouse dies and you remarry are you united to another soul? (41:49)

Resources:

God's Plan For Your Marriage Book

https://godsplanforyourmarriagebook.com/