Amos 4:7

If we cannot gather spiritual fruits through our own labor, it is just that we dispense with holy zeal and most fervent charity those which have been collected by others. Since the Lord threatens that, because of the sins of the people, "I will cause it to rain upon one city and cause it not to rain upon another city," we ought to strive with great care that we may not be that city upon which the rain of the Word of God either does not come at all or, at least, only late and rarely. Without any doubt, if the dew or rain of the Word of God is provided too late, the fruits of souls will be the same as earthly fruits which do not receive rain.

(Verse 7 onwards) I have also withheld rain from you, when there were still three months until the harvest. I caused it to rain on one city and not on another. One part was rained upon, while the part on which it did not rain became dry. So two or three cities went to another city to drink water, but were not satisfied. Yet you did not return to me, says the Lord. LXX: And I have withheld rain from you three months before the harvest. I have caused it to rain on one city and not on another city. Part of it will be irrigated, and part of it, upon which it does not rain, will dry up. And two or three cities will gather in one city, so that they may drink water and not be satisfied; and you have not returned to me, says the Lord. Not only have I caused astonishment of teeth in all your cities, and a scarcity of bread in all your places, but I have also prevented rain from you when there were still three months remaining until the harvest, which is called the late rain, and is especially necessary for the thirsty fields and Palestinian lands, so that when the grass swells in the harvest and the wheat bears fruit, it will wither due to excessive dryness. However, the significant time of spring at the end of the month of April, from which there are three months remaining until the harvest of wheat. May, June, July. For the harvest, seventy days, in their own way, were transferred to the vintage, which, if we accept it, is completely unusual and impossible next to all the regions of the East. For we have never seen rain at the end of June or in the month of July in these provinces, especially in Judea. Finally, in the Books of Kings, as a great sign and wonder, rain was brought about on the days of summer and harvest, when Samuel prayed (1 Samuel 12). And it was excessive to threaten now the dryness of the month of July, in which it had never given rain. It prevented rain, so that they would endure not only a shortage of bread, but also the heat of thirst and a scarcity of drinking. For in these places where we now live, besides small springs, all the water is in cisterns, and if divine wrath withholds rain, the danger of thirst is greater than that of hunger: which Scripture also mentions to have happened in the days of the prophet Elijah for three years and six months (3 Kings 17). And perhaps they might not think that this happened by the law of nature, and the…