THE SCENE: If the Lord sometimes threatens us with Gryphons, so too does the Lord have the power to deliver us from Gryphons.
THE TEXT: After some days the holy father prescribed a fast for three days. Then when the three days were over a great bird was seen flying near the boat, carrying a branch of an unknown tree. At the tip of the branch was a cluster of grapes of extraordinary redness. The bird dropped this cluster from its beak into the saint’s lap. Then Saint Brendan called the attention of his brothers and said:
“Look at the meal that God has sent you. Take it.” The grapes of this cluster were as big as apples. The man of God divided them, one each among his brothers, and so they had food until the twelfth day.
After they had sailed, the bird called the Gryphon appeared to them, flying from far away towards them. When his brothers saw it they started saying to the holy father: “That beast has come to devour us.” The man of God said to them: “Do not be afraid. God is our helper. He will defend us on this occasion, too.”
The bird stretched her talons to seize the servants of God. Just then, suddenly, the bird which on the earlier occasion brought them the branch with the fruits, flew swiftly up to the Gryphon, which immediately made to devour her. But that bird defended herself until she overcame and tore out the eyes of the Gryphon. The Gryphon then flew high up into the sky so that the brothers could scarcely see her. But her killer pursued her until she killed her. For the Gryphon’s body fell into the sea near the boat before the eyes of the brother. The other bird returned to her own place.
– The Voyage of Saint Brendan, 10th Century AD
