“What is forgiveness? Forgiveness means that I continually am willing to forgive the other person for not fulfilling all my needs and desires. Forgiveness says, “I know you love me, but you don’t have to love me unconditionally, because only God can do that.” I too must ask forgiveness for not being able to fulfill other people’s total needs, for no human being can do that. Our heart longs for satisfaction, for total communion. But human beings, whether it’s your husband, your wife, your father, mother, brother, sister, or child, are all limited in giving the level of love and acceptance we all 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. Any relationship you enter into – in communion, friendship, marriage, community, or church – will always be riddled with frustration and disappointment. So forgiveness becomes the word for divine love in the human context.” Henri Nouwen, Spiritual Direction (P. 119-120)

• Philosophy