Two Become Family: Restoring Confidence in Catholic Marriage and Family life
Renzo and Monica share stories, advice, and encouragement for everyday Catholics navigating the human side of a faith-filled marriage. They both bring a voice of joyful solidarity from their experience living in the trenches with a growing family. Their honesty and witness offer hope to couples who want to find confidence in their vocation to marriage through a candid and faithful discussion.
Renzo and Monica Ortega are Catholic ministry leaders, podcast hosts, authors, and national speakers. Their latest title, Lovemaking: How to Talk about Sex with Your Spouse was published through Ave Maria Press. They host the popular marriage podcast Two Become Family and speak nationally for the St. John Paul II Foundation’s Together in Holiness conference series.
Their testimonies of faith, marriage, and parenting have been featured by the National Catholic Register, the Knights of Columbus, and Augustine Institute. They are coauthors of the children’s devotional Go to Joseph for Children, and Renzo is also the author of the men’s devotional Go to Joseph: 10 Day Preparation for Consecration to St. Joseph.
- Update frequency
- every 7 days
- Average duration
- 52 minutes
- Episodes
- 177
- Years Active
- 2022 - 2025
Am I Talking Too Much? And Other Questions You Should Ask To Become a Better Listener
There are two parts to communicating, but most of us are only good at one! In communication, we talk and we listen. As much as we work on our delivery of expressing our thoughts and our feelings, we …
Grace, Difficulties, and What We Do When Things Get Hard
What does it mean to lean into grace? How can we get help from God when being married becomes a real struggle? What difference does Jesus make? We tackle all of these questions and we give your four …
Can I complain about my kids? Why Parenthood Can Be Hard and a Gift at the Same Time.
Are children a burden or a gift? If children are supposed to be a gift, why is parenthood so hard? In today’s episode we talk about children, parenthood, and how good things are sometimes hard and we…
Why Doesn’t My Spouse Get Me? The Difference Between Ask-Culture and Guess-Culture
Why does it feel like we are talking past each other rather than to each other sometimes? In today’s episode we consider a new, life-changing, theory of communication and apply it to our marriage in …
Will God Really Heal Us? How God Has Met Us On Our Healing Journey
What does it mean for God to heal us? If God is going to heal us, how would he do it? A retreat, therapy, or charismatic prayer? In today's episode we reflect on how God has met us on our healing jou…
What Are We Saying "Yes" To? Why Marital Vows Are Hard and It's OK to Struggle
What did we say "yes" to on our wedding day? If we are struggling in our "yes" who can we look to as an example of being faithful to our vows in hard times? In today's episode we bring these question…
When Should We Start Having Kids? Fertility Awareness, NFP, and Why Children Are Gifts
In today's episode we talk to St. John Paul about having kids and we ask when the bets time to have kids is. We are reminded about the gift that kids are, we talk about the difference that Fertility …
What If I Don't Feel Loved? Why The Love Languages Matter
What if you don't feel loved in your marriage? What are some tools you could use to enhance the love between you and your spouse? In today's episode we talk to St. John Paul about love! We talk about…
Who Should Do the Dishes? and Other Questions About Dividing Household Responsibilities.
What is the best way to divide the household responsibilities? In today's episode we share our experience dividing household responsibilities, and we reflect on St. John Paul's Familaris Consortio pa…
Bonus: Why go to Joseph?
In today's bonus episode we celebrate St. Joseph's feast day by talking about why we love him so much. You also get to hear 3 reasons why we think everyone should start a new devotion to St. Joseph t…
What About Mental Illness? What St. John Paul Says About Depression
How does mental illness change the dynamics of a marriage? How can couples acknowledge mental health struggles while simultaneously building up their marriage in the process? In today's episode we br…
Do You Really Marry the Family? How Boundaries Build Healthy Relationships
In today's episode we ask St. John Paul about the popular adage, "you don't just marry the person you marry the family." During our conversation you get to hear our reflections on St. John Paul's wr…
Should I Ask My Husband? (Clearing Up the Marital Debt Confusion)
St. Thomas Aquinas - Summa Theologiae
Question 64: Things annexed to marriage, and first the payment of the marriage debt
Article 9: Whether one spouse is bound to pay the debt to the other at a festa…
Does Our Compatibility Matter?
Should introverts marry extroverts? Should you have similar interests or should you like completely different things? Or does compatibility mean something more? In today's episode you can hear our e…
Do You Have Any Advice For the Wedding Night?
In today's episode, we ask St. John Paul if he has any advice for the wedding night and we dive into his advice from Love and Responsibility! This is a great conversation and we're so happy you're he…
Should Your Spouse Be Your Bestfriend?
In today's episode, we discuss friendship, our taste in TV shows, and how a couple's friendship should grow and evolve in their marriage.
SHOW NOTES
Thank you all for your ongoing support. We love what…
Why Does Marriage Prep Matter?
In today's episode we discuss how St. John Paul the Great saved our marriage, how being a stay-at-home-dad changed Renzo's perspective on being a husband and father, and why it's so important for cou…