-Saint Basil of Ostrog - a wonderworker who has been pouring out the living grace of God for three and a half centuries-
Author's text of His Grace Kiril (Bojovic), Diocesan Bishop of Buenos Aires and South-Central America, written on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of repose of this great wonderworker of Ostrog, with a review of the program "St. Basil of Ostrog – a witness of the Resurrection", the author of which is catechist Branislav Ilic from Novi Sad, broadcast by the Diocese of Backa Radio “Beseda”
Christ is Risen!
“1I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful.
3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
4 Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
6 If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
8 This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
9 “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love
. 10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. (Jn. 15, 1-10)
Christ is Risen!
New people are constantly being born on this planet of ours; these people are being born in different peoples, in different cultures, in different environments, ethical, religious, climatic, economic ... But there are few people whose birth represents not only an appearance of one person on this world, but represents a place or a moment in time where and when whole peoples are born, generations of personalities ... Such people become, in accordance with the above words of the Gospel-writer John, those fertile branches of vineyards that are planted, grafted, cultivated on the only life-giving vine, the root of life, the corner-stone that merged human nature with divine nature, that breathed into human nature the breath of eternal life. From that root which is Christ the Lord, these people, like fertile branches, draw life and give it to all those who approach them with faith, and so they produce many fruits in the Vineyard of the Heavenly Father.
Such was indeed the birth of Stojan Jovanovic in the rocky place of Herzegovina, from pious parents Petar and Ana. Our God is independent on His creation and its forms, He has a nature that radiates the light of the eternal life of its substance, and which is most deeply and best received and kept in a pure heart. That life-giving light is not kept in a golden jar or a golden palace, or in great city or beautiful place on the sea; that light does not depend on the creation, it is not received and given or exchanged with silver and gold and precious stones. That light of God is received and kept in a pure heart.
Thus, a young shepherd, from a modest stone house, from economic misery from the harsh climate of the rocky place of Herzegovina, but with a pure heart filled with love, managed to become a fruit-bearing branch in the Lord's Vineyard, to become Saint Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker.
"Glory and mercy to him", each of us listened to our grandmother or mother whispering the name of Saint Basil, standing up abruptly and making a sign of cross with awe. Each of us grew up in the ambience of that magical name. And so for three and a half centuries.
Stojan Jovanovic, i.e. monk Basil, heard Christ's words, "Stay in me and I will be in you" and walked straight along the path of Christ, from his parents' home to the monastery of Zavala, then via the monastery of Tvrdosh to the Cetinje monastery, to Russian Empire for aid, and then and to the monasteries of Chilandar and Mount Athos for vigil services until late at night. Then back to the Patriarchate of Pech, our patriarchate, the hub where the fruit-bearing branches of our vineyard branch out in our share in the Vineyard of Christ. No philosophy of this world, no Turkish tyrants, no Latin inquisitors , no demonic power, no substance could separate Stojan from that path, because he knew the Holy Scriptures and the words of the Apostles: “38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 38, 39). Both that and such knowledge of the Holy Scripture, knowledge of the Word of God which he stored in his pure heart, brought Stojan into a state of pure prayer, a state of pure service to God as the hierarch of the Church of God, which led him into a state of holiness, to St. Basil.
What did the monk Basil so important that God chose him to be archpastor of his Church? He had good intentions, as it is said in his troparion, he had a good disposition in his mind and heart which he supported with hard labor, fasting, prayer and good deeds. And He had both a motive and a reason: "Basil, by the grace of God, Metropolitan of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, I am writing to confirm the truth, so that Christians know how I was in Ostrog, in the wasteland, for a while. And I have voluntarily contributed my spiritual labors here. And I did not spare my property for the sake of the mercy of the Holy Mother of God. Many have hurt me, but God has been my spporter in every good deed. In Ostrog, in the cold rocks of heat for God's sake,… God sees it and the Most Holy Mother of God. ” And so for three and a half centuries.
The masses of the Hagarenes, wanting to abolish the visible presence of Christ in our people of Saint Sava, burned the relics of Saint Sava, which were the refuge of our people in those difficult times. And God did not let us wander for long without a lighthouse. From the seventeenth century, the relics of St. Basil have been a beacon and a source of miraculous power, which showed the way and fed our people and all the people who came to him regardless of nationality or religion, by the power of Christ's Resurrection at all times and in joy or in a trouble. One should not go far into history; it is enough to remember that miraculous visitation of the hierarch of St. Basil in 1996. to Herzegovina and back where many people were born in the faith. Or that miraculous visitation of the Saint, but now together with all his people in the cross processions of 2019 and 2020. And so for three and a half centuries.
(My father held my hand, I remember, while I was reaching somewhere up to his waist, we were on a plateau, deep down you could see the valley where the river meanders, everything around it was green, the river feeding the whole plain with water giving it life; the sun was shining very brightly illuminating the white edifice up a little above but as if nailed to the sky, it was the edifice of an ancient monastery, which was shining in the sun and seemed to radiate light itself. A huge line of people seemed to be waiting for someone, but somehow serenely, without haste, as if that Someone had already been there, as if that Someone was waiting for the people, while a pious whisper, “Saint Basil, glory and mercy to him!” could be heard everywhere. Mu father was making a sign of cross ...)
And so for three and a half centuries, each of us has stood in line knowing that St. Basil will receive and reward him, that he will understand and forgive, that he will heel our soul and body. Standing in line before the Holy One, I am reminded of the words of a psalm, “Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness; let him rebuke me—that is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it, for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.”(Ps 140, 5).
Each of us presents to the Saint what he can, some of us tears, some sighs from the soul, some wine and oil, some woolen socks, some a soap, some coffee or sugar, some salt and a flour, some a shirt, some honey, some money, someone promises that he will not sin any more, someone says a prayer, but it is always deep from the soul with full confidence that the Saint will hear and that he will respond.
We welcome it that Radio-Beseda (Diocese of Backa) and Television Hram produced such wonderful broadcasts about Saint Basil on the occasion of his jubilee. May St. Basil reward all those who have worked hard in this project, and may he bless all those who will listen and watch the broadcasts with a pious heart. In the future, it would be nice to present to the audience - if the financial means and conditions allow – personal testimonies and words of bishops, priests, believers about the living grace that St. Basil has been granting for three and a half centuries. Glory and mercy to him!
Christ is Risen Indeed!
On the feast-day of Saint Basil of Ostrog, 12th May, 2021, in Buenos Aires.
+ Bishop KIRIL
Translated into English by Sanja Simic de Graaf
