Community is characterized by two things: one is forgiveness, the other is celebration. Forgiveness means that I continually am willing to forgive the other person for not being God—for not fulfilling all my needs. I too must ask forgiveness for not being able to fulfill other people’s needs.

Our heart longs for satisfaction, for total communion. But human beings…are all so limited in giving that which we crave. But since we want so much and we get only part of what we want, we have to keep on forgiving people for not giving us all we want…

This is of enormous importance right now because constantly people look to blame their parents, the Church, and their friends for not giving them what they need. So many are so angry. They cannot forgive people for offering only limited expressions of an unlimited love. God’s love is unlimited, but people’s love is not…

Any…relationship is always riddled with frustration and disappointments. So forgiveness becomes the word for love in the human context.