By Fr. George Dorbarakis
Saint Savvas lived during the reign of Theodosius the Younger, in a village of Cappadocia called Mutalaske, and his parents’ names were John and Sophia. From the very beginning of his life he turned to the monastic way, entering a monastery called Flavianae. He became so self-restrained from an early age that once, when he saw an apple in the garden and desired it, he said: "Fair to the sight and good for food was the fruit that put me to death." He took the apple in his hands, but did not eat it; instead, he trampled it under his feet and made it a rule for himself never to eat an apple again. Once, even when he entered a furnace, he came out unharmed, without the fire touching even his garments. At the age of eighteen he was met by the great Saint Euthymios, who sent him to a cenobium, to Saint Theoktistos. From everyone he encountered, he received and learned their manners and their virtue. Seeing him, Saint Euthymios would address him as a "child-elder," because of his spiritual maturity far beyond the common measure. As he grew older, his virtue increased as well. For this reason he performed many miracles — he even drew water by his prayer in barren places. He became the teacher of many monks, and when he came to Constantinople, he twice sent envoys both to Emperors Anastasios and to Justinian, at the request of the Patriarchs of Jerusalem of his time. He reached the very height of life in Christ and, at the age of ninety-four, departed to the Lord.
