Saint Sabas (439-532)

Saint Sabas was left in the care of his aunt and uncle as a child. His aunt treated him so wickedly that he ran away to live with another uncle when he was only eight years old. These two uncles got into a bitter dispute over who was entitled to the money from Sabas's estates. The constant fighting was too much for young Sabas, and he sought refuge in a nearby monastery. When he was 18 years old, he left the monastery to learn more about living a life devoted to solitude. At first, he was told that he was too young to live life as a hermit. As he grew older, he was allowed to spend more of his time in solitude and prayer. Sabas was an inspiration to many, and soon gained a large number of followers. He was hesitantly convinced by a bishop to become a priest so he could better serve his monastery. Sabas still felt called to life in a hermitage, and often left his followers for a few days of complete prayerful solitude. He spread the Good News throughout Palestine, and brought many back to the Church.