ANA ADžIĆ: SVEDOČENjE VRLINE LjUBAVI

Abstract

This paper explores circumstances and influences, primarily culturological, that may have been associated with Nadežda Adžić’s decision to become a nun. The aim is to examine the connection between N. Adžić’s decision to devote herself to God and the following elements that had influenced her decision: (a) education in the family; (b) influence of the church; (c) personal moral principles. Despite hard living conditions in the country devastated by wars, in which she had lost many of her loved ones, despite huge social, economic and cultural inequalities in Serbian society, Nadežda remained faithful to her own moral principles – sharing love and working for the glory of God and for the salvation of her soul. The abbess Ana has left a deep mark on her time, as inspiration to all those wishing to devote themselves to God. Using analytical method and case study method, the paper also gives a brief overview of the charitable role of the Serbian Orthodox Church, which had a crucial impact on Ana Adžić’s activities. The work of the novice Nadežda Adžić in the “Bogdaj” Children’s Centre in Bitola, under the auspices of the Serbian Orthodox Church, in the years before the Second World War, is an example of a God loving soul dedicated to serving others – weak, poor and abandoned, especially children. Her example proves that despair can grow into the appreciation for the gifts we have been given – it is a way of approaching God. Her constant effort to bring peace and joy to the lives of the children in “Bogdaj” through personal engagement determined Nadežda’s striving for monasticism. Such a commitment may have had its causes in the upbringing she took from her parents’ home, in the death of her brother Milovan in the Great War, in people’s sufferings caused by the war, in the post-war misery and poverty. Her determination may stem from all these causes, but her perseverance arises from the tenderness and sensitivity of her soul and, at the same time, her strength and determination to glorify God.