2019 Saint Kosmas Essay Contest
Topics:
“St. Kosmas Aitolos” & “The Krifo Scholio”
Winners:
1st Place Winner - English Language Category
Ava Ortwein (Memphis, Tennessee)
1st Place Winner - Greek Language Category
Athanasios Souldatos (Troy, Michigan)
1st Place Winner - Greek Language Category
Athanasios Souldatos (Troy, Michigan)
Topic 1: About The Life of St. Kosmas Aitolos
Essay Title: Ο Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός
Age: 9 years
Type or Name of School: Home-school
Location of Church Attendance: Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral (Detroit, Michigan)
Prize: $100 cash + $500 credit to attend the Saint Kosmas Conference
Interview with the Winner, Athanasios Souldatos, age 9:
SKOE: How many years have you been homeschooling?
Athanasios: This is my third year homeschooling. I also attended a public school in Thessoloniki, Greece for one year, and I went to a Montessori kindergarten.
SKOE: What do you enjoy most about homeschooling?
Athanasios: What I enjoy most about homeschooling is that I get lots of breaks.
SKOE: What do you think is the greatest benefit of homeschooling?
Athanasios: I think the greatest benefit of homeschooling is that I get to learn at my own pace, and that I get to be taught about the Orthodox Faith. I also enjoy having more time with my family.
SKOE: Who taught you the Greek language?
Athanasios: I often hear my dad speaking in Greek and that is how I am continually learning to speak Greek. I also attended Greek School at a local Orthodox Church for a few years. Last year, our family lived in Thessoloniki, Greece for a year, and I was able to attend 3rd grade there. This year I am doing on-line tutoring with a teacher from Athens.
SKOE: What do you think is the greatest benefit of knowing the Greek language?
Athanasios: I think that the greatest benefit of knowing the Greek language is that when I meet with one of my friends or relatives in Greece I can easily communicate with them. I think it also helps me understand more of the Scripture Readings and Liturgy at church.
“We are very glad that you put together this competition and that our son participated. We are really thankful. Speaking as a homeschool mom who has often wavered in my resolve to homeschool, it is so helpful to feel part of a bigger community, and also have access to all the resources from your organization. We feel so blessed. From our hearts we want to say again, thank you for your work.”
Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΚΟΣΜΑΣ Ο ΑΙΤΩΛΟΣ
An essay written for the 2019 St. Kosmas Annual Essay Contest for Orthodox Children
Αθανάσιος Σουλδάτος
Troy, Michigan
28 Μαρτίου 2019
Ο ΑΓΙΟΣ ΚΟΣΜΑΣ Ο ΑΙΤΩΛΟΣ
Ο Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός γεννήθηκε το 1714 στο Μέγα Δέντρο, ένα χωριό της Αιτωλίας (Επισκόπου Καντιώτου Αυγουστίνου, 2005) και ονομάστηκε Κώνστας. Μόλις έγινε οχτώ χρονών, μαθήτευσε αρχικά στηv Παρνασσίδα. Στην ηλικία των είκοσι, ενώ ήταν υποδιδάσκαλος, διδάχτηκε από τον ιεροδιάκονο Ανανία. Το 1749 εισήλθε στην Αθωνιάδα Σχολή του Αγίου Όρους όπου σπούδασε Λογική, Θεολογία και Φιλοσοφία. Έκλεισε όμως η σχολή και πήγε στο μοναστήρι του Φιλοθέου στο Άγιον Όρος, όπου έγινε μοναχός και ονομάστηκε Κοσμάς. Το 1759 ο Πατριάρχης Σεραφείμ του έδωσε άδεια, για να μπορεί να διδάσκει το Ευαγγέλιο στους ανθρώπους.
Στα σχολεία που σπούδασε απέκτησε χρήσιμες γνώσεις, με τις οποίες στη συνέχεια θα βοηθούσε τους ανθρώπους. Αν δεν είχε μαθητεύσει στην Παρνασσίδα, δε θα είχε μάθει τα γράμματα που θα χρειαζόταν να ξέρει αργότερα στη ζωή του. Όταν ήταν υποδιδάσκαλος, εξασκήθηκε, ώστε να διδάσκει τους ανθρώπους με ωραίο τρόπο. Η επιστήμη της Λογικής τον βοήθησε να γίνει καλός ρήτορας. Επίσης, η Θεολογία και η Φιλοσοφία τού χρησίμευσαν, ώστε να μπορεί να μεταδώσει στους απλούς και αγράμματους ανθρώπους βαθιά νοήματα για τον Θεό και τη ζωή. Τέλος, στα χρόνια που έμεινε στο Άγιον Όρος, έμαθε το σημαντικότερο, να κάνει υπακοή στο Θείο θέλημα, ακόμα και αν χρειαστεί να μαρτυρήσει.
Επιθυμούσε βαθιά να ωφελήσει τους αδερφούς του τους Χριστιανούς με αυτά που έμαθε. Μία μέρα, θέλοντας να καταλάβει αν είναι Θείο θέλημα να αφήσει το Άγιον Όρος και να αρχίσει περιοδείες στα χωριά της Ελλάδας, άνοιξε την Αγία Γραφή. Διάβασε τον λόγο του αποστόλου Παύλου, «Nα μη ζητάει κανένας μόνο το συμφέρον το δικό του αλλά και το συμφέρον του άλλου.» (Α. Κορ. 10, 24). Έτσι, λοιπόν, ξεκίνησε το μεγάλο του έργο. Στα χρόνια που ζούσε, «Ήταν σβησμένες όλες οι φωτιές οι πλάστρες μες στη χώρα» (Κωστής Παλαμάς, 1902). Περπάτησε σχεδόν όλη την Ελλάδα και ίδρυσε πολλά σχολεία. Όπου πήγαινε, έστηνε έναν μεγάλο σταυρό, για να θυμούνται οι άνθρωποι τον Σταυρό του Χριστού και ανέβαινε σε ένα μικρό σκαμνί, το οποίο έπαιρνε όπου πήγαινε (Πηνελόπη Μωραΐτου, 2010). Σε 16 χρόνια ίδρυσε σχεδόν 200 σχολεία, για να πηγαίνουν δωρεάν τα παιδιά. Προσπαθούσε να εμπνεύσει όχι μόνο τους πλουσίους να πάνε στο σχολείο αλλά και τους φτωχούς. Στα σχολεία που ίδρυσε διδάσκονταν η ελληνική γλώσσα και η Ορθόδοξη πίστη. Ο Άγιος Κοσμάς έκανε πολλούς να πιστέψουν στον Χριστό με τα θαύματά του. Μετά τον θάνατό του, στις 24 Αυγούστου 1779 πίστεψαν ακόμα περισσότεροι. Δίδαξε το Ευαγγέλιο δίνοντας στους ανθρώπους την ελπίδα να μπουν στον Παράδεισο. Έλεγε ότι την Κυριακή οι άνθρωποι δεν πρέπει να δουλεύουν, αλλά να αφιερώνουν την ημέρα αυτή στον Θεό. Επίσης, παρότρυνε τις γυναίκες να μη φοράνε στολίδια και πολλές φορές τα έδιναν στον Άγιο για το φιλανθρωπικό του έργο. Ακόμα, έπεισε τους πλουσίους να αγοράσουν 4.000 κολυμβήθρες για τις εκκλησίες.
Ο Άγιος Κοσμάς είναι ένα πολύ καλό παράδειγμα για εμάς, επειδή είχε πολλή αγάπη και μεγάλο ενδιαφέρον για τη μόρφωση των σκλαβωμένων Ελλήνων. Έλεγε ότι πρέπει να μετανοούμε. Έδωσε τη ζωή του για τον Χριστό και εμάς. Επίσης, προετοίμασε τους Έλληνες πνευματικά για τον ξεσηκωμό του 1821 και την λευτεριά της Ελλάδας. Προφήτευσε για το μέλλον της Ελλάδας και την απελευθέρωσή της. Σχεδόν 250 χρόνια μετά τον θάνατό του οι σύγχρονοι Έλληνες περιμένουμε την εκπλήρωση μερικών προφητειών του.
Βιβλιογραφία
1. Επισκόπου Καντιώτου Αυγουστίνου, 2005, Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός, Εκδόσεις «Ο Σταυρός»
2. Πηνελόπη Μωραΐτου, 2010, Άγιος Κοσμάς ο Αιτωλός, Συναξάρια για Παιδιά, Εκδόσεις Ακρίτα
3. Κωστής Παλαμάς, 1902, Ο Πρόλογος, Ποίημα
Πηγές από το Internet
4. https://saintkosmashomeschoolassociation.com/great-synaxaristes-saint-kosmas-aitolos-part-1-his-life (accessed 2019-03-28)
5. https://oparadeisos.wordpress.com/category/9-αγιοσ-κοσμασ-αιτωλοσ-βιοσπροφητειε/αγιος-κοσμάς-ο-αιτωλός-αφιέρωμα/ (accessed 2019-03-28)
6. https://el.wikipedia.org/wiki/Κοσμάς_ο_Αιτωλός (accessed 2019-03-28)
7. http://www.saint.gr/835/saint.aspx (accessed 2019-03-28)
8. https://www.sansimera.gr/biographies/941 (accessed 2019-03-28)
1st Place Winner - English Language Category
Ava Ortwein (Memphis, Tennessee)
Topic 2: About the Krifo Scholio
Essay Title: Krifo Scholio: The Secret Schools
Age: 14 years
Type or Name of School: Home-school
Location of Church Attendance: St. John Antiochian Orthodox Church (Memphis, Tennessee)
Prize: $100 cash + $500 credit to attend the Saint Kosmas Conference
Krifo Scholio: The Secret Schools
Ava Ortwein
The Krifo Scholio was a series of small secret schools that were run by the Greek Orthodox church. They were held at night usually at an Orthodox monastery or church, although it eventually became so dangerous they had to operate in basements and caves. They functioned during during the Ottoman rule, between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries. The Krifo Scholio played a large role in the history of Greece by keeping the culture and Christian heritage of the people.
They helped children by giving them a religious education and a knowledge of their country. The only children who were allowed to go to school were the ones enlisted by the Turks in the Paidomazoma. The Krifo Scholio gave strength to the adults by giving them a knowledge of their country, and eventually dispelling the turks in the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829). The Krifo Scholio helped especially to preserve Greek Orthodox culture because the teachers of the Krifo Scholio were monks, priests, and monastics.
The Krifo Scholio helped children by giving them an education they would not have received otherwise. They learned things that the Turks would not let them legally learn, such as the Christian faith, reading, writing, and their Greek heritage.
My little bright moon
Shine on my footsteps
So that I can go to school
To learn to read and write
To learn God's teachings (Angelos 167).
This is an example of a poem made during the Ottoman oppression in Greece, from the perspective of a child. In the poem, the child is walking, perhaps through a forest at night, with only the moon as a light. It took great courage for the child and the parents to take part in an act of rebellion against such a mighty foe.
They were taught by Orthodox christian Abbots, monks ascetics, and priests, so the Greek orthodox faith stayed strong. In the following poem by Ioannis Polemis, he shows how the people thought of the Church as a Sanctuary from fear and everyday oppression.
On the outside, black desperation,
Tangible shadow of bitter slavery,
But inside in the vaulted church,
The church which assumes every night
The shape of a school,
There is the shivering light of the candle
Lighting up the dreams
And collecting the children of the slaves all around (para. 1).
There are many songs and stories about the Krifo Scholio, and these are some of the most descriptive. The schools were so well hidden and secretive though, that many modern historians doubt the existence of them. These poems and songs are thought of by many of them as folktales and myths.
The Krifo Scholio helped adults by giving them strength to eventually overcome the Turks in the greek war of independence. In the book, The Greek War of Independence, by Peter H. Paroulakis, he states that “The Greeks were a fiercely independent people. They were not prepared to accept the loss of their identity or culture because of economic or political adversary” (para. 6). If the Krifo scholio had not been created by the people, especially the clergy, the Greeks would have lost most of their identity and Orthodox heritage. Athanasios Rakovalis states that Hellenic clergymen made the secret school to preserve their language, culture, and national conscience. They did this to keep the Hellenic nation from sinking into illiteracy, which the conquerors desired (para. 1).
The Krifo scholio is not widely recognized by historians because they, the schools, only existed, gave hope, educated and sustained the people in times of desperate need. There are many accounts of the secret schools, though, such as diaries, articles, paintings and poems. The Krifo scholio was a school run by monastics; they taught reading, writing, and the Christian faith. Children were helped by being given an education of God and their country, along with reading and writing. The children, when they grew into adults, were eventually able to defeat the Turks because they were literate and were given strength through a knowledge of their country and Orthodox identity. The krifo scholio helped them to gain confidence and a desire to fight for their country’s freedom.
Works Cited
Angelos, James. The Full Catastrophe: Travels Among the New Greek Ruins. New York, Broadway Books, 2016.
Polemis, Ioannis. “The Secret School.” St. Kosmas AItolos Homeschool Association. 2018. https://saintkosmashomeschoolassociation.com/krifo-scholio-ioannis-polemis. November 2018.
Paroulakis, Peter. The Greek War of Independence. Hellenic International Press, 2000. https://saintkosmashomeschoolassociation.com/krifo-scholio-the-greek-war-of-independence-chapter-2
Rakovalis, Athanisios. Talks with Father Paisios. Edited by Demetrios Carellos, Translated by Nicholas Palis, Orthodox Kypseli Publications, 2000. https://saintkosmashomeschoolassociation.com/krifo-scholio-athanasios-rakovalis. December 2018.