On December 5, name day is celebrated by all who bear the name Sava.
Sava, the founder of many monasteries in Palestine and of the famous Lavra known by his name, was born in the region of Cappadocia in the 4th century of rich and noble parents. Due to a disagreement between the relatives who were entrusted with his upbringing during his father's business trip to Alexandria, he settled in a monastery when he was still 18 years old. There he received an education, fell in love with the monastic life and was ordained as a monk. Wishing to serve God in a more secluded place, the young monk left the monastery where he lived and went to Jerusalem to worship the holy places and visit the Palestinian hermits.
At that time, the monk Euthymius the Great was famous in the East for his strict fasting life. Sava asked to become one of his disciples, but Euthymius entrusted him to blessed Theoctistus, a brother in the neighboring monastery. Having blessed him, Rev. Euthymius foretold that Saba would shine in the monastic life, become the founder of an extensive monastery, and be a glorious teacher of all Palestinian hermits.
In Theoktist monastery, Sava gave himself completely to the service of God and passed all the monastic services with uncomplaining obedience and diligent work. Everyone marveled at his strictly virtuous life. Once, traveling to Alexandria, he met his parents on the way, who wanted to divert him from the monastic life, but finally gave in to his steadfast will. Having spent twelve years in the monastery, Sava desired greater solitude. He settled in a cave and spent days and nights there in prayer and work. His work consisted of weaving baskets, for which the monastery gave him bread and fruit.
That's how he spent five years, and then he went to Rev. Euthymius the Great. After the death of this great ascetic, Sava lived for some time in the Jordanian desert, in the monastery of Monk Gerasim. But Venerable Sava wanted complete solitude so that he could devote himself entirely to prayer and contemplation. Once, falling asleep after a long prayer, he saw in his dream an angel who pointed out to him a cave in the place where the dried Siloam stream was. Waking up, Sava went to that place, found the cave and settled in it. All day and most of the night he prayed and sang psalms, eating only roots that grew along the side of the cave.
One day, as he was gathering roots in the desert, he saw four robbers who were hungry and emaciated. The desert dweller poured out the collected roots before them, and from then on the grateful robbers began to bring him bread and fruit from time to time. Sava, bathed in tears, said to himself: "Oh, woe to my soul! These people pay so generously for a charity. And we receive blessings from God every day, but we do not give thanks, but spend our days in negligence and do not fulfill His commandments."
He spent several years at Sava in constant prayer and complete solitude. After that, others began to come to him who wanted a quiet and secluded life. Gradually, the whole valley of the Siloam Stream was settled by desert dwellers. Abandoning all the cares of life here, they placed their hopes in God alone. They prayed constantly, observed silence and strict abstinence, and God wonderfully protected them.
The traditions about the desert dwellers are full of examples of God's wonderful providence for them: food was sent to them in a wonderful way; then to a thirsty man in the hot desert an unknown spring was discovered; the desert beasts obediently left their lairs in the cave chosen by their hermit for a dwelling; by the power of the cross demonic visions were banished, sometimes disturbing the lonely hermit – in a word, the almighty right hand of God did not cease to strengthen and protect the hermits amid the sufferings, exploits and labors of the life they had chosen.
After many years spent in the Palestinian desert, Saba had the joy of seeing his mother, who, having become a widow, settled in a nunnery near Jerusalem. Having received a rich inheritance after her death, Sava built several monasteries and hospitals, founded two inns – one at Jericho, and the other at the caves out of which the Lavra or great monastery had already been formed. Many brothers gathered there and the Jerusalem patriarch appointed Sava as the spiritual leader of the hermitages. He taught the brothers by words and by his example, he taught them meekness, humility, silence, trust in God and complete renunciation of their own will. Died quietly in his cave at the age of 94 in the year 533.
They celebrate Elisavet, Sava, Savin, Savko, Savcho, Sylvester, Slav, Slavey, Slaveyko, Slaven, Slavi, Slavin, Slavo, Slavko, Slavcho, Slavyan, Sabi, Sabo, Sabotin, Sabcho, Elisaveta, Savina, Savka, Silva, Silvana, Sylvena, Silvina, Silvia, Slava, Slaveya, Slavena, Slavina, Slavka, Slavyana, Saba, Sabina, Sabka, Sabotina
© Lives of the Saints. Synodal Publishing House, Sofia, 1991, edited by Parthenius, Bishop of Levki and Archimandrite Dr. Athanasius (Bonchev).