My husband and I are unable to have physical relations at the moment. How do we maintain our intimacy? Why did we inherit the Original Sin of Adam and Eve if we did not personally commit it? Why did the salvific act of Jesus bring salvation to all of us?

Ask Christopher West is a weekly podcast in which Theology of the Body Institute Director 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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This week’s questions:

Q1: (Continued from last week's episode) My husband and I have been happily married for 30 years. Living our Catholicism as married persons is very important to us. Our history of marital relations has been complicated because of some sexual abuse, body image issues and depression for me and brief period of pornography plus difficulty with emotional intimacy for my husband. We have worked hard to keep working at our relationship. Our marital relations have rarely been easy but we keep trying because we love each other and want to honor our spousal relationship. Most recently I have had some medical issues and surgery which has made having intercourse temporarily not possible. It has been over 6 months since we tried. We have gradually grown less affectionate because I don’t want to unfairly arouse my husband. Sometimes I am relieved but feel guilty about it, to have the medical excuse because the difficulties trying to be intimate are so emotionally painful. We are both so vulnerable and I am concerned our affection and sexual intimacy will never improve. Discouraged. Please advise. Many thanks.

Q2: Hello Wendy and Christopher, thank you so much for this podcast! I absolutely love it! I would like to ask a question very close to my heart. It has haunted me for a strange reason since I was young. ... My question is about the original sin and I guess about the whole meaning of salvation.

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Resources mentioned this week:

The Good News about Sex and Marriage

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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.

Produced by Sounder and Key.