Venerable Sabbas of Storozhi (Zvenigorod)

St. Sabbas of Storozhi (Zvenigorod) was one of the first and closest disciples of St. Sergius of Radonezh, receiving monastic tonsure from him in his youth. He spent many years at the Trinity Monastery, served as confessor to the brethren — including Sergius himself — and briefly headed the monastery as abbot after Sergius's death in 1392. He earned the deep respect of Prince Yuri of Zvenigorod, Sergius's godson, who chose Sabbas as his spiritual father. At the prince's request, in 1398 Sabbas founded a monastery on Storozhi Hill near Zvenigorod, building a wooden church of the Nativity of the Mother of God. He guided the brotherhood in prayer, fasting, and labor, and was renowned for the gift of foresight, once predicting Prince Yuri's victory in battle. He reposed in 1406. His veneration was formally established by the Moscow Council of 1547; his relics were uncovered in 1652 and translated a second time in 1998.