THEOSISGregory the Great
The grain longs for the rain, as noted in Job 37:11. What is the elect, if not God's grain, destined to be gathered into the heavenly granaries? Currently, they are distinguished from the chaff during the thresher's work; through the purging process of the Holy Church, they still display attributes of the rejected until the inner Vinedresser distinguishes them with the breath of His judgment, taking His chosen ones—who have finally been purified—into heavenly dwellings, while consigning the chaff to eternal flames. It is aptly stated in John that His winnowing fork is in His hand; He will thoroughly cleanse His threshing floor and gather the wheat into His barn, while the chaff will be cast into unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:12).
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Yet this grain, until it achieves the fullness of its fruit, yearns for the rain from the clouds to flourish. The intellect of virtuous individuals is nurtured by the teachings of those who preach, ensuring that the scorching sun of worldly desires does not evaporate the essence of love. The heavenly Vinedresser has observed this grain thriving in the world and its yearning for the clouds when He states, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest" (Matthew 9:37-38). Thus, those referred to as “grain” here are also termed “harvest,” while the “clouds” correspond to “laborers,” since the holy preachers embody both qualities: they are clouds through their teachings and laborers through their actions. They become clouds by imparting wisdom through their words and laborers by continuously practicing what they teach. Consequently, the scripture states, “And the clouds scatter their light” (Job 37:11). The clouds that disseminate their light represent holy preachers who widely share their examples of righteousness through both speech and deed. However, despite their efforts to shine light into the hearts of many, they do not always see the conversion of all those they hope to reach. Thus, the passage continues: