Saint Sabbas, Abbot

The Saint of today's commemoration ('62 Missal), Saint Sabbas, was a 5th Century monastic pioneer in the Holy Land, whose monastic foundation is still in existence. His is one of the oldest inhabited monasteries in the world.

That Monastery was the home of Saint John Damascene in the 8th Century who is also buried there!

The monks of Mar Saba made a crucial contribution to the development of the liturgy in the Orthodox Church. They compiled a typicon — a book of directions for worship services and ceremonies — that became the standard for the Orthodox world up till the 19th century.

Happy Feast of Saint Sabbas!