Forgiveness.
Such a simple word, a mere 11 letters but it's at the heart of the Catholic faith, along with love, peace and justice.
"Jesus tells us that if we receive him as the bread of life, we will have his life within us," Archbishop Robert J. Carlson of St Louis said in his homily at a Mass for peace and justice on Sunday at the Cathedral Basilica of St Louis. "He shows what this life means on the cross, when he forgives those who killed him."
With a crowd topping 600, the Mass commemorated the first anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown, an African American teen, in a confrontation with a white police officer in nearby Ferguson.
It also marked the 70 years since the United States dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima (6 August, 1945) and Nagasaki (9 August, 1945) and caused an unprecedented loss of life.
"We know (the atomic bombs) inflicted tremendous human suffering," Archbishop Carlson said. "Likewise, we know the events (in Ferguson) uncovered a culture of systemic racism, rage just below the surface of daily life, and a court system which failed to recognise institutional injustice in its manner of operation."
But after the release of pent-up rage, what comes next? The real work begins with forgiveness.
"There is much that needs to be done in our work for ... meaningful change and healing – fostered by a better understanding of the pain of others, our brothers and sisters in Christ," Archbishop Carlson said. "If we ever hope to sit at a common table with our brothers and sisters – black or white, red or yellow, the colour of the skin makes no difference – we need to ask God to bless us with the grace of mercy and love that we see in Jesus.
"When we receive him as the bread of life," the archbishop continued, "we can let go of hate and hurts and grievances and forgive one another – a healing that interconnects with faith – and is the first step toward building relationships and assisting those who live in poverty."
Archbishop Carlson said that healing and justice "can only be achieved in our respect for one another and our commitment to being with one another in the suffering."
"Our message [of love and justice] shows its effectiveness through the actions we take in the cause of justice in the world and especially here in St Louis, our own backyard," he added. "We will not gain any credibility as a people of faith if we refuse to serve those closest to us."
In that regard, at the archdiocese's first Mass for peace and justice some months ago, Archbishop Carlson had called for the formation of a Peace and Justice Commission. Its 27 members were commissioned during the 9 August Mass.
Ferguson priest Fr John O'Brien in a reflection at the service acknowledged the difficulty of forgiveness "after taking so many beatings, and yet this is what the Gospel demands."
"When another hurts us, it is not the pain that bothers us so much; it is the injustice. And injustice makes us want to respond with further injustice. But God's mercy allows us to respond with mercy," he said.
Ferguson released the racial tension lurking just below the surface. "There is a reason why this place has become the precipitator of questions regarding racism, prejudices, and human dignity," Fr O'Brien said.
In turn, the community must be "a prophetic catalyst of reform, renewal and reconciliation," he said.
"May we become more transformed into a community of justice and peace, a place of acceptance and hope, a people that suffered and healed because of our willingness to forgive and our commitment to prophesy."
Top: Archbishop Carlson greets Ophelia Wilson Court after the Mass for peace and justice. Above: An ecumenical prayer service at the grotto at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Ferguson also marked the anniversary. Photos: CNS/ St Louis Review
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