Two Become Family
Welcome to the podcast that talks about Catholic marriage, without pretending it's easy.
We are Renzo and Monica Ortega, we've been married 13 years, we have 5 kids, and our apostolate, Two Become Family, helps Catholics who love the Church, love each other, and still have no idea why marriage feels so hard sometimes.
Through our very candid, and sometimes uncomfortably vulnerable, conversations about sex, NFP, conflict, family life, we hope to spark conversations between you and your spouse.
Visit us at https://twobecomefamily.substack.com for more resources for your marriage
Episodes
208 episodes
190. Your Spouse Was Never Meant to Be Your Happily Ever After
What happens when you go into marriage expecting your spouse to make you happy, fix your wounds, or finally give your life the meaning you’ve been looking for?In this episode, we talk about why your spouse was never meant to be your savi...
.png)
189. Why Gen Z Doesn't Think Marriage Matters Anymore
Send share this episode with a priest who walks with couples! Or share it with a young person, engaged couple, or married couple that wishes the Church gave them more guidance. We try walking with couples about sex, that's wh...
188. Why Catholic Marriage Theology Feels Unreachable
On Tuesday 28 April 2026, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life will hosted a study day asking:"How can the Church form pastors capable of accompanying young people, engaged couples, and spouses so that they live Christian marriage as...
187. Why Should the Resurrection Change How Catholics Talk About Sex?
Why would the Resurrection change how Catholics talk about sex?We got into an online argument about sex, marriage, and what husbands are owed. But the more we talked, the more we realized the real disagreement was deeper than sex. It was...
186. Fighting In Front of Your Kids
We got into an argument in front of our kids and then we talked about it. Let's jump in!We wrote a Catholic s*x book! Check it out:
185. Unspoken Expectations and Premeditated Resentment
We are back! Back to conversations on the couch, and today we're talking about how unspoken expectations can become opportunities for future resentment. We share about how we've navigated speaking our minds and how we've worked through our own ...
184. Ortega Life Update
We are back! Sort of. Here's a quick life update from us. We will be back with a new episode next week. Please keep us in your prayers!We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out:
183. Lent - Rupture and Repair
Sorry this has come so late! Our family has had to navigate a couple of things so we haven't been able to keep up. Thank you for understanding and your support!We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out:
182. Lent - Asking for Help
Parenting has a way of bringing you to the end of yourself. There are seasons where the noise, the conflict, the exhaustion, and the constant needs of your kids can make you feel like you’re barely keeping your head above water. A lot of parent...
181. Lent - Missing the Mark
This is part 3 of our Lenten series, where we’re walking with Catholic parents through the real struggles of family life during the season of repentance, mercy, and renewal.Parenting often feels like a daily examination of conscience. We...
180. Lent - Changing Our Aim
Why does parenting feel so overwhelming, even when we’re trying to do everything right? In this episode of Two Become Family, we explore how much of our stress, guilt, and burnout as parents comes from aiming at the wrong goal. ...
179. Lent - Saying the Quiet Part Out Loud
Parenting has a way of exposing our limits. The moments we lose our temper, feel overwhelmed by the noise, or realize we don’t have the patience we hoped we would can quickly turn into shame. In this episode, we begin our Lenten journey by recl...
178. 5 Things to Focus On During Marriage Prep
Getting married is more than planning a wedding — it’s preparing for a lifelong vocation.In this episode, we walk engaged couples through the conversations and habits that build a strong, lasting marriage. From finances and family expect...
177. The Non-Expert Guide to living with PCOS
Living with PCOS can feel overwhelming, confusing, and deeply isolating, especially when you’re told to “just lose weight” or given unclear answers about fertility and hormones.In this video, I share the non-expert guide to living with ...
.png)
176. Is Marrying Young A Bad Idea? The 5 Questions Every Young Couple Faces
Is marrying young too soon?In this honest conversation, we tackle the 5 core questions every couple faces before tying the knot — from emotional readiness to financial responsibilities and future growth as individuals and partners. Whet...
.png)
175. 5 Ways NFP Can Break Your Marriage (And How to Fix It)
Can Natural Family Planning actually damage a marriage?Many couples quietly struggle with NFP — feeling disconnected, frustrated, or even resentful — and wonder if something is wrong with them, their marriage, or the Church’s teaching.<...
174. Husbands Don’t Need Sex… But Does Your Marriage?
What does every married couple need to understand about sex—especially when conversations online say things like “men don’t need sex”?In this episode, we unpack 5 essential truths about sex in marriage that are often misunderstood, over...
173: 5 Lies About Sex That Are Hurting Your Marriage
In this episode, we expose 5 modern lies about sex that are quietly destroying marriages, even Christian ones. We dig into why couples experience disconnection, resentment, and confusion around intimacy, not because they don’t love each other, ...
.png)
171. why Catholic parents don't read the bible with their kids
Story of All Stories by Emily Stimpson Chapman and Word on FireWe wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out:
170. Holiday Boundaries: 10 Ways to Protect Your Peace This Season
We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out: Order LOVEMAKING! Our other booksGo To Joseph: 10 Day Consecration to St. Joseph
.png)
169. how living in story-mode is quietly destroying your marriage
We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out: Order LOVEMAKING! Our other booksGo To Joseph: 10 Day Consecration to St. Joseph
168. becoming better lovers (inspired by Leslie Knope and Ben Wyatt)
Mentioned in this episode: Inito Monitor use code MON15!We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out: Order LOVEMAKING!
.zip%20-%201.png)
167. making meals, building community (with Emily Stimpson Chapman)
Buy Emily’s book: http://stpaulcenter.co/AroundtheCatholicTable use code Monica20 for a discount!We wrote a Catholic sex book! Check it out:
166. 6 hidden dangers of kids having smartphones (and our favorite alternative)
What are the top 6 reasons we don't give our kids smartphones or personal devices? In today's episode we lay them out and then we give you our *new* favorite alternative!Check out the G...
.zip%20-%207.png)