And when evening had arrived, His disciples approached Him, saying: This is a deserted place, and the hour has now passed. Dismiss the crowds, so that, by going into the towns, they may buy food for themselves. (Mt 14:15)
Ὀψίας δὲ γενομένης προσῆλθον αὐτῷ οἱ μαθηταὶ λέγοντες· ἔρημός ἐστιν ὁ τόπος καὶ ἡ ὥρα ἤδη παρῆλθεν· ἀπόλυσον τοὺς ὄχλους, ἵνα ἀπελθόντες εἰς τὰς κώμας ἀγοράσωσιν ἑαυτοῖς βρώματα.
Vespere autem facto, accesserunt ad eum discipuli eius, dicentes: Desertus est locus, et hora iam præteriit: dimitte turbas, ut euntes in castella, emant sibi escas.
The Gospel happens at different times of the day and night. The point is that even such an essential condition of our existence is not beyond the reach of God’s action. Evening is the completion of the day, the end of work, the return home, the supper. The circumstances of today’s scene prompt the disciples to ask Jesus to send the people away. But He wants to show a different economy. On this evening, an empty place becomes hospitable, full of goodness and it turns into a supper. The meal is simple, but gives respite and satiation. It announces the Last Supper, which is never the last, because it lasts.
