Saint Emilia—the mother of St. Basil the Great; Venerable Nonna—the mother of St. Gregory the Theologian; Saint Anthusa—the mother of St. John Chrysostom; Venerable Anastasia of Serbia—the mother of St. Sava; and Righteous Anna–Anastasia—the mother of St. Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker: these holy mothers have left us an enduring example of piety, unwavering faith, true humility, self-sacrifice, and grateful service to the Lord. Most importantly, these righteous mothers invested all the God-given gifts and love they possessed into their children, who in due time were deemed worthy of sainthood.
By raising the children entrusted to them by God, these mothers preserved in their hearts a profound reverence for the Heavenly Father. Through their many labors, fortified by prayer, they multiplied the seeds of love and diligence sown into young souls. Among them, we can highlight the mothers of the Three Holy Hierarchs, whose familial devotion and deeply active prayer exemplify the most powerful maternal intercession—a beacon that guides us to the Truth. Among the mothers of great saints undoubtedly stands the name of the mother of St. Basil of Ostrog.
Righteous Anna–Anastasia Jovanović, the mother of St. Basil of Ostrog the Wonderworker, continues to this day her ministry of love, testifying that motherhood is inseparable from sacrifice and ascetic struggle. When we mention the mother of St. Basil of Ostrog, we immediately think of her maternal sacrifice and pure heart, and we are compelled to offer her our gratitude for following the will of God and giving birth to the young Stojan, the future St. Basil of Ostrog.
A few years ago, I visited Popovo Polje and Mrkonjići, as well as the small cemetery where Righteous Anna–Anastasia, mother of St. Basil, still rested at the time. One could rightfully say that our St. Basil has three places of birth: the village of Mrkonjići, where he entered this world; the Monastery of Tvrdoš, where he took monastic vows; and the Monastery of Ostrog, from where he departed into eternal life. I felt a special blessing then, as if the holy mother was embracing my soul with her prayer. And now, standing before her sacred reliquary and venerating her holy relics, I bowed the neck of my soul and knelt in reverence, saying: “Thank you, wondrous and righteous mother Anastasia, for gifting us the most precious treasure—our beloved saint, wonderworker, and spiritual teacher.”
A cherished local tradition recounts that long ago, a villager named Trifko Milutinović was walking a path descending toward the main road when he was met by an old man with long white hair and beard who introduced himself as a monk. The monk told him that the mother of St. Basil of Ostrog was buried in the cemetery, seven steps from the right corner of the Church of St. Nicholas. After delivering this message, the monk vanished mysteriously. Trifko heeded his words, went to the village cemetery, counted seven steps from the church, and dug until he came upon the grave, where a monument to the saint’s mother now stands.
Standing before her and her holy relics, one’s voice falters, the heart races, tears stream down one’s face, and the knees give way… I felt the same on the Saint Basil’s Day procession in Nikšić, in the Year of the Lord 2023, when part of the relics of this holy mother were carried. This is the mother who served the will of God and brought her beloved child into this world, watched over him, and nurtured him with motherly love, guiding him on the path of life in Christ. Standing before her, I thought: “This is the righteous mother of our beloved saint; this is the holy mother who emulated the Most Holy Theotokos and Righteous Elizabeth, and all the holy mothers who bore saints. She raised her only son to walk the earth, yet to cling wholly to Heaven and the divine truth.”
“Who is so great a God as our God? Thou art the God who workest wonders!”
A great and wondrous miracle stands before us. The relics of the righteous mother of St. Basil are here to console us. The holy mother continues to nurture us with love and calls us to imitate St. Basil, just as he imitated Christ. In His love, God has granted us in this age the opportunity to pray at the very place where St. Basil was born, to venerate the holy relics of his mother, and to receive her blessing.
Standing before the mother of the beloved saint, we are moved to echo the words of the Psalmist in praise of the Lord: “How marvelous are Thy works, O Lord.” (Ps. 103) Indeed, the beauty of God is reflected in the stars, the moon, the sun, in the field flower, and in all creation. But the beauty of God is most fully revealed in His saints, for they have shaped themselves in the image and likeness of God.
Modern man seeks miracles, and one of the most frequent questions asked is: Are there miracles today? The only true answer to this question is: God works miracles every day, in many ways, and where God wills, the laws of nature are overcome. Standing before the reliquary of Righteous Anastasia and her son—St. Basil of Ostrog—we behold with both spiritual and physical eyes an ineffable miracle. By God’s love and providence, the order of nature is overturned: we venerate incorrupt relics untouched by decay and transience. Astonishing too is the love with which the mother of St. Basil embraces us. Righteous Anastasia embraces us as she once embraced her son; she teaches us as she taught him; she awakens our slothful and sleepy hearts, and calls us to zeal in prayer and perseverance in good deeds. Witnessing this miracle worked by the Lord through His saints, we are left only to offer a sincere prayer to Righteous Anastasia: Righteous and holy mother, parent of our St. Basil of Ostrog, look upon us and return us to the path from which we have strayed. Drive from us vanity, pride, and estrangement, and plant within our hearts peace, love, joy, and every virtue, that we may worthily glorify our Lord as we journey toward the joy of the Heavenly Kingdom.
Written by: Catechist Branislav Ilić, Editor of the “Koinonia” Portal
