We would think that preaching with authority and driving out hell’s demons, that Jesus would be on the top of his game like Tom Brady will be tonight when he wins another Super Bowl. While drawing closer to the top of his game when crushing demons and restoring health to God’s children, we know about our Lord that, as time moved forward from this stage in his ministry, that driving out demons is not the top of his game. Greater advancement toward the top of his game is seen in the Lazarus event in Bethany, calling his friend out of the tomb. Or in the daughter of Jairus being woken from sleep. His raising others from the dead. The top of the game for Jesus on this Super Bowl Sunday is twofold; first, the day of his death, being the completion of his mission accomplished in pure obedience. And second, the resurrection of his body on the 3rd day. These two “top of the game” events cannot be separated in the same way we cannot separate our Catholic faith from our politics; in the same way we cannot separate Christ the Bridegroom from the Bride his Church, a separation, where it exists, being one of the great heresies of modern time. He’s on the top of his game when dying and rising, never to die again. Here, early in his public ministry, our Lord takes a big step toward the ultimate Super Bowl victory of life eternal. An easy cure of a mother-in-law; “That was an easy one. Wait till you see what’s coming.” From this easy cure to attacking and expelling the spirits who rebelled against God… a more serious step than calling out a fever. We talk for a moment about the top of our game, and the good steps we can take to keep moving forward to the resurrection of our bodies. A good place to begin is with Job in this Sunday’s first reading, who goes directly to the bottom of our game with the final words in this reading, “I shall not see happiness again.” I used to think that as a Red Sox fan. It was like, “You know, they are never going to reach the top of their game.” Then Mr. Ortiz showed up and changed all that. “I shall not see happiness again” is actually the perfect place to begin regarding the top of our game, right smack on the bottom. These words of Job, to carry them forth to our present day lives, say that Jesus does not teach with authority; that his curing God’s children is a side-show; that the demons are not scared of him and don’t listen to his voice; Lazarus remains in the tomb when called out; a son is not given back to his mother in Nain; and worst of all, Jesus stays in the tomb after his crucifixion, forever. As Christians, our reaction to the words of Job is very, very simple; we reject them. To say, “I will not see happiness again” does not belong to us. It belongs to those with no faith. We reject the words of Job. Rejection is a very important part of our faith in Christ. We reject despair and despondency, the tools of the Devil. We reject all worldly ideas and practices that separate us from the love of God. Instead, we accept the great holy truth we draw closer to each passing day; that we will see happiness again. A level of happiness described best as indescribable joy. From Job to St. Paul, we take one giant step toward the top of our game. Paul, after his being struck by Jesus on the road to Damascus, was always in a mood of evangelizing. When he saw his happiness again after Jesus nailed him to the ground – one of God’s greatest all-time moves – Paul became all things to all people, in order to save some. He was an evangelizing machine, at the top of his game as an Apostle. Founding communities, establishing churches, preaching the word. Paul was in love with his Savior. He did all things for Christ. Are we in love with our Savior? Do we do all things in our lives for Christ? Do we evangelize through words and deeds, and do we preach his word? Are we closer to Paul than Job in terms of happiness? Are we all things to all people in order to save some? If yes, this would be for us the equivalent of Jesus driving out demons. A big step on the way to the top of our game. In the Gospel, as everyone looks for Jesus in the early morning hours, he shows us another big step that is much easier than driving out demons, all those spirits who made the wrong eternal choice because they aligned themselves with the wrong leader known as Satan. Jesus makes the good choice of prayer. He and his Father as One! Communing with the God who loves us and desires our happiness both now and future. I simply remind all of us of the fundamental importance of daily prayer. To make time for prayer is to make time for our Savior. It could be the largest step we take in this world that leads us to the top of our game. Jesus cured a fever; he drove out demons; but in his 24-hour cycle where the entire town was at his door, his prayer alone with God was his largest step. May we be wise enough to follow in his footsteps as we journey to the top of our game.