Saint Basil of Ostrog Resource Page

St. Basil of Ostrog (Feast Day - April 29)

Saint Basil of Ostrog (St. Nikolai Velimirovich)

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (1 of 5)

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (2 of 5)

The Punishment of God and a Miracle of Saint Basil of Ostrog

By St. Nikolai Velimirovich

God does not punish sinners because it gives Him gratification to destroy men. If that gave Him gratification, He would not have created man out of nothing. He punishes man out of more important constructive reasons, of which two are most apparent to us: First, that by punishment He corrects them and leads him on the true path of salvation; second, to frighten others from sinning. St. Isaac also thinks this when he says, "The just wise man is similar to God, for he punishes man, not to reproach him for his sin but either to correct man or to instill fear in others."

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (5 of 5)

...continued from part four.

THE VISION OF THE ITALIAN GUARDS

Maksim Jovovic wrote down the story in 1959:

“In the village of Zupci, near Bar, people still talk of the incident that happened to some Italian guards in the World War II.

It took place one dark night in 1942 when the occupying Italian army was guarding its positions at Ribnjak, in a church dedicated to St. Basil of Ostrog which was had been by King Nikola.

As the Italian soldiers were building a fire in the church and preparing their supper, suddenly the entire church was bathed in a strange light. A white-bearded Elder clad in the robes of an Orthodox Bishop appeared before them.

He ordered them sternly to clean up the church and leave at once. The church went dark and the elder disappeared in the darkness. The soldiers were filled with fright and ran out of the church and all the way down to the foot of the hill. They prepared their supper there and would not on any account ever eat and prepare food in the church again.

One day one of the Italian guards saw an icon of St. Basil of Ostrog in the home of a local family. He said: 'This is exactly what the Bishop who turned us out of the church looked like!'"

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (4 of 5)

...continued from part three.

THREE SIMULTANEOUS HEALINGS

In December of 1965, Hieromonk Seraphim Kasic copied into the monastery records a letter handwritten and signed by the priest Mile Vulovic from Prijepolje in which Father Mile describes three miraculous experiences of pilgrims from Prijepolje. The original of the letter is enclosed:

“Dear brother in Christ, Father Seraphim, glory be to God, my family and I are well. I am writing this letter in a state of great spiritual joy. I trust God that this letter will find you in good health, through the prayers of Saint Basil the Wonderworker of Ostrog and of all the Saints. Dear brother in the Lord, do forgive me for taking so long to write this letter. All of us who went on pilgrimage to Ostrog have returned home with great gifts of mercy and compassion, through the prayers of our Holy Father Basil. It is with great joy that I am able to tell you that a member of the first party of pilgrims who visited Ostrog from Prijepolje, Abdullah Bechirbashich, a man with a long history of manic depression, has been made completely well.

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (3 of 5)

...continued from part two.

THE MIRACLES OF ST. BASIL AMONG THE NON-ORTHODOX

An anonymous archivist wrote the following:

"Even the Bosnian Muslims come to Ostrog, just as they go to Studenica, in order that they may venerate the Holy Relics and have prayers read for them. They usually leave a donation. A recent example is a certain Hadzi-Alija Vezirovic from Niksic, who had been childless for many years. He and his wife visited Ostrog many times, attended Holy Liturgy and Vespers, venerated the relics and left generous donations. His wife at long last bore him a son. Since then this Turk has been sending the monastery a box of pure beeswax each year.

Archimandrite Nicifor (Ducic) met this Vezirovic on the feast of Pentecost in 1864, as well as a certain baig Ljubovic with his family from Nevesinje, who had come to Ostrog to venerate the Holy Relics.”

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (2 of 5)

...continued from part one.

A REMARKABLE HEALING

A written testimony contributed by Stana Marjanovic from Dubrovnik:

“M. Kasikovic became ill in 1948 and had a severe crisis until 1950. That year she became bed-ridden and spent a long time in the hospital. She underwent surgery but the doctors said that it had not been successful and that there was no help for her. She then went home to await death.

Seven years passed. She had wilted away and only skin and bones were left of her.

In 1957 we sent a dress belonging to M. to the Ostrog Monastery. It was placed under the relics for one night. Then the dress was sent back to her and she put it on.

Gradually life returned to her and she felt increasingly better. Soon she was up on her feet. Now she does all the housework and takes care of her little grandson.”

Miracles of Saint Basil of Ostrog (1 of 5)

THE GLORIFICATION OF ST. BASIL OF OSTROG

By Archimandrite Justin of Chelije

Immediately after the falling asleep of St. Basil in 1671, people started coming in great numbers to pray at his grave, just as they were accustomed to doing during his earthly life. Many miracles began taking place at the site of his grave and they have not ceased to this day.

Seven years after giving up his soul to God, in 1678, St. Basil appeared in a dream to Father Rafailo (Kosijerevac) the Abbot of Saint Luke Monastery in Zhupa near Nikshich, and ordered him to go to Ostrog and open up the Saint’s grave. The Abbot paid no attention to the dream and did not go. He had the same dream again, but he again ignored it. St. Basil then appeared to the Abbot a third time, dressed in episcopal vestments and with a censer in his hand. The Abbot woke up in fear and trepidation and told the brotherhood of his monastery about his dream. They agreed at once to make a hasty journey to Ostrog.