When the fourteenth night had come, as we were being driven across the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors suspected that they were nearing land. So they took a sounding and found twenty fathoms. A little farther on they took a sounding again and found fifteen fathoms. And fearing that we might run on the rocks, they let down four anchors from the stern and prayed for day to come. And as the sailors were seeking to escape from the ship, and had lowered the ship’s boat into the sea under pretense of laying out anchors from the bow, Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot be saved.” Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship’s boat and let it go.
As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have continued in suspense and without food, having taken nothing. Therefore I urge you to take some food. For it will give you strength, for not a hair is to perish from the head of any of you.” And when he had said these things, he took bread, and giving thanks to God in the presence of all he broke it and began to eat. Then they all were encouraged and ate some food themselves. (We were in all 276 persons in the ship.) And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, throwing out the wheat into the sea.
Comment: The sailors thought that they had one chance – to let the smaller rowing boats down to the ocean, hop into them and escape leaving the cargo of men and goods to the sea. Somehow Paul heard of their plan or saw it acted out as they tried to surreptitiously let the boats down and, listening to Paul, the soldiers cut the boats off, to be wrecked in the roaring high seas. Dramatically Paul blessed the food for breakfast and 276 partook thereof, no doubt with a wide array of feelings. Then the ‘cargo’, but not the people, were ditched. The end is nigh….
Prayer: Sometimes, Father, there is nothing left but to hope on in simple trust,
As I read it! 