Have you ever been to the restaurant First Watch? I dined there recently and was curious about the meaning of the name of the restaurant. So I checked their website and found this: “A ‘first watch’ is a nautical term that refers to the very first shift of the day. And if you ask us, it’s the best shift of the day. That’s because come the crack of dawn, we’re slicing and juicing fresh fruit and vegetables and whipping up our French toast batter from scratch, just for you.”
I also discovered that they close at 2:30 PM. But who’s “open” for Second or Third Watch as we hear in today’s gospel? Evening Second Watch goes from 9 PM to midnight, and Third from midnight to 3 AM. Will we be awake? Ready to meet our Lord when He comes? When love knocks on the door? What do we need to do to maintain alertness? What fuels our willpower to remain ready? The first reading gives us a clue:
By faith Abraham obeyed. By faith he sojourned in the promised land as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, heirs of the same promise; By faith he received power to generate, even though he was old. For Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen.
“I’ll have a serving of Faith please—with Hope and Charity on the side with a dash of Chutzpah.” Try ordering this at a restaurant! Today we are urged to be on First, Second, and Third Watch! Or as a t-shirt I once saw said: “Look busy, Jesus is coming.” Even better than this t-shirt is a girdle since we are instructed to “Gird your loins. Await your master’s return. Watch and be prepared.” Gird as in girdle. And a girdle is not just for women since men’s “flowing tunics” too can be a hazard when one needs to be ready for action. To gird oneself is to lift the hem of one’s tunic up and tuck it into one’s girdle or tie it in a knot to keep it off the ground providing for freedom of movement. To “gird your loins” is to get yourself prepared—and be ready for a long wait.
Most people hate to wait for anything. Wait in line? Wait in traffic? They say the true measure of one’s character is displayed when no one is looking or when one has to wait! So wait and gird we must do for good things come to those prepared to wait. Especially for the Lord awaiting. Are you ready to order?
