Icon of SS Sabbas, Euthymios and Anthony – S220

Description

Saint Sabbas (a.d. 439-532) went to live in a monastery at the age of eight.  Ten years later he went to Palestine and became a disciple of Saint Euthymios, who saw his future greatness.  Saint Sabbas founded seven monasteries.  The most famous is called Mar Sabbas’ Lavra in the Kedron Valley, and has had continuous monastic life lived there since a.d. 484.

Saint Euthymios (a.d. 377-473) was born in Melitine, Armenia, after his mother had a vision concerning his birth.  He embraced ascetic life early in his youth.  After a pilgrimage to Palestine when he was 29 years old, he relocated in the Wilderness of Pharan between Jerusalem and Jericho, where a great monastery grew up around him.  He taught much concerning love of the brethren, hard work, and devotion to God in humility.

Saint Anthony (a.d. 250-356) gave his wealth away when his parents died when he was a young man of 20.  He lived the first distinctly monastic life, fought demons face to face, and lived a serious and strict ascetic life.  All three of these great desert-dwelling monastics lived for and died in God, working miracles to this day.