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mask was not revealing the building as much as it was creating it, one horizontal glass line after

another. The walls climbed higher and higher. Two symmetrical golden crosses grew on the face of

the building. They were imbedded into the front wall itself, and extended across all three floors.

Father Feinstein's intestines contracted. He squinted his eyes to look. The mask rose. The thin

golden crosses seemed to give off their own light. Were they laser beams? He couldn't tell. The

mask neared the top.

               Now visible was an enormous banner, draped around the top of the building, beginning to show

under the tarp. Father Feinstein tightened his jaw as the letters drew themselves on the banner. With

one quick tug, the men yanked the tarp up onto the roof. The building stood naked. Father Feinstein

tensed his shoulders, and read the banner. Then he read the sign on the roof.

               "Huh?" he said, dumbfounded.

               A short alarm sounded, and the crowd rushed through the revolving doors like horses at a

starting gate. At the same instance, a tall woman came out of one of the doors. She stood in front of

the building and smiled, and greeted people as they entered. Suddenly, Father Feinstein noticed that

nearly half the people entering the revolving doors were familiar to him. Half that crowd was his

congregation.

               He looked up again at the banner that stretched across the glowing structure. He scratched his

chest, and read it silently again. "The Easter Sunday Grand Opening Extravaganza."He looked at the

sign. Mounted on top of the building, in multicolored moving lights, was the sarcastic answer to

Father Feinstein's prayers. "Jesus Christ Superstore - Thou shalt not shop in vain."

               Father Feinstein, still in his robe, walked across the street to the store. His body was on

automatic now; he would have missed his own Easter mass even if there was anyone left to show up.

As he approached the revolving doors, the tall woman stepped towards him and said, "Happy Easter.

Welcome to the Jesus Christ Superstore. All of our party supplies are 25% off today, sir. It's our way

of saying 'thanks for everything God, now let's party'."