Holy Martyr Sava the Goth

Life

In the land of the Goths there was a fierce persecution against the Christians. A certain Gothic prince came to the village where this pious Sava lived and asked the villagers whether there were any Christians in their village. They assured him with oaths that there were none. Then Sava stood before the prince and the people and said: "Let no one swear an oath for me — I am a Christian." Seeing him wretched and poor, the prince released him in peace, saying: "That one can neither harm nor benefit anyone!" The following year, however, at Pascha, a certain priest Sansalas came to that village and celebrated the bright Pascha with Sava. The pagans heard of this, and suddenly attacked Sava's house, and began to beat the servants of God mercilessly with staffs, and furthermore dragged Sava naked through thorns; then they bound both of them to a tree, and offered them meat from idolatrous sacrifices. But God's men, mindful of the words of the apostles, refused to eat of the unclean devilish sacrifices. Finally the prince condemned Sava to death and handed him over to the soldiers. Full of joy, Sava went to the place of execution praising the Lord. Recognizing him as a good man, the soldiers wished to release him along the way, but Sava was greatly saddened by this and told the soldiers that they were obliged to fulfill the prince's command. Then the soldiers brought him to a river, tied a stone about his neck, and cast him into the water. His body was washed ashore. Later the Greek commander Junius Soranus, in the time of Emperor Valens, while warring against the Goths, found the body of Sava and transferred it to Cappadocia. The holy Sava suffered in the thirty-first year of his life, in the year 372.