Sabina was a Roman noblewoman who became a Christian through the witness of her servant Serapia. She was martyred in a persecution, and the Basilica of Santa Sabina on Rome's Aventine Hill honors her memory.
Life
Saint Sabina is a martyr long honored in Rome, and the Basilica of Santa Sabina on the Aventine Hill bears her name. The church was built in the fifth century, and it is still known as the place where the pope celebrates the liturgy on Ash Wednesday at the start of Lent.
Almost nothing certain is recorded about her life. According to tradition, she was a noble widow in the time of Emperor Hadrian in the second century who came to the faith through the example of her Christian servant Serapia, and after Serapia's martyrdom she too gave her life for the faith. The Church has remembered her on August 29.
Spirituality
The tradition of Saint Sabina shows a witness of faith that crosses social lines. The story of a noblewoman who met Christ through her servant's way of life reminds us that the Gospel spreads more by the example of a humble life than by words, and that all are brothers and sisters in Christ.
Reflection
In tradition, Sabina found faith through her servant's quiet example. What image of Christ are my words and actions showing to the people around me today?