We will starve, because of our poor faith...

When World War 1 makes its appearance with hunger, fear and death blackening the Greek sky, the petrified nuns rush to the elder, begging him to get more wheat supplies and other necessities.

They find him in his little cell, praying in front of his favourite icon of Virgin Mary, with the sweet glance in Her eyes, which decorates his iconostasis. How many hours have these two spent together discussing endlessly the Monastery's problems, for the illnesses of the world, for all of the unpaid bills, for his sufferings and many more... big and small problems.

"My dear sisters, look at the birds of the air. They are not worried, neither they sow, nor they reap, nor gather supplies into barns. Yet, their Creator takes care of them. Is it possible that our Father who feeds the birds, who clothes so elegantly the lilies of the field, not to take care of His children?

Nonetheless, if you do not trust God and if you do not fill up all your storehouses, we will starve. We will be very hungry, because we will be rich in worries and life anxieties, but poor in faith".

Let's have some vocabulary...

Blackening = σκουραίνω, μαυρίζω

Petrified = τρομαγμένος (μεταφορικά) (απολιθωμένος --> κυριολεκτικά) ( > petrify = {μετ.} τρομοκρατώ, {κυρ.} απολιθώνω)

Elder = γέροντας

Begging = παρακαλώντας ( > beg = παρακαλώ)

Wheat = σιτάρι

Supplies (πληθ.) = προμήθειες ( > supply = προμηθεύω, προμήθεια)

Necessities (πληθ.) = ανάγκες (necessity = αναγκαιότητα, necessary = αναγκαίος, απαραίτητος)

Glance = ματιά

Decorates (γ' ενικό πρόσωπο) = διακοσμεί (decorate = διακοσμώ)

Endlessly = ατελείωτα 

Illnesses (πληθ.) = ασθένειες (illness = ασθένεια)

Sufferings (πληθ.) = ταλαιπωρίες (suffering = ταλαιπωρία) ( > suffer = ταλαιπωρώ)

Worried = ανήσυχοι ( > worry = ανησυχώ)

Sow = σπέρνω

Reap = θερίζω

Gather supplies = μαζεύω προμήθειες

Barns (πληθ.) = αποθήκες (barn = αποθήκη)

Elegantly = κομψά, με χάρη (elegant = κομψός)

Field = αγρός

Nonetheless = παρ' όλα ταύτα

Storehouses (πληθ.) = αποθήκες (storehouse = αποθήκη)

Starve = πεινώ

Rich in worries = πλούσιος σε ανησυχίες

Anxieties (πληθ.) = αγωνίες (anxiety = αγωνία)

Poor = φτωχός

Faith = πίστη

Poor in faith = φτωχός σε πίστη, ολιγόπιστος

Ας δούμε πόσο καλά καταλάβαμε το παραπάνω κείμενο...