Born in Cappadocia, he went as a young man to the desert near Jerusalem to live as a monk. He founded the Great Lavra in the Kidron Valley, guiding many monks, and the monastery is still active today.
Life
Saint Sabbas was born in 439 in Cappadocia, in central Turkey today. Raised in a monastery as a boy, he set his heart on monastic life and as a young man went to the Judean desert near Jerusalem to train alongside the monks there.
In the Kidron Valley he founded the Great Lavra, a community of monks that continues to this day as Mar Saba. He founded several other monasteries, led the monks of Palestine and even traveled to the emperor to defend orthodox faith. He died in 532, over ninety years old, and the Church remembers him on December 5.
Spirituality
Sabbas's spirituality is a harmony of solitary prayer and community life. While seeking God in the silence of the desert, he gathered brothers to live together and carried the burden of leading them. His monastery has remained a place of prayer for more than 1,500 years.
Reflection
Sabbas met God in the silence of the desert and shared that grace with his brothers. With whom can I share today the consolation I have received in prayer?