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Show 212 detective came to mind, she shuddered inwardly at the cast of his eyes, that large vacant mouth. Which was working on the silent words he was speaking, invisible words, as if the words had no relationship to his eyes, which were completely divorced from them, his face floating before her. Those insidious eyes; yes, there was evil in the world. But Christ had come to the world, Father Cooney said with determination, had been born a simple man into the world. To redeem the world. And that, he declared, now with a deep joy, was the reason for rejoicing on this day. He spoke of Christ's presence as a brightly shining light-his words charged by the winter sun flooding the stained glass windows-a light toward which they should move in their daily lives. And as she glanced through the congregation, the faces in the pews reflected Father Cooney's joy. Only David's face remained locked in that sneer. So let us give thanks, Father Cooney concluded, on this wonderful day, to God in his infinite mercy, that He should allow His light, in the form of His own Son, to shine upon the world. The litany began, the voice of the great crowd swelling, responding fully to Father Cooney, filling the church with its collective human sound, one huge powerful voice. And then the mass was given. People rose from the pews, a great rising with a general scraping of shoes, forming lines in the aisles. The lines became long, stretching back to the doors and fanning outward along the walls, four priests-lead by Father Cooney-administered the host. Sharon waited until Katie came back to be with the kids, and then went back to the nearest line. As the line moved toward the altar, she thought about Father |