A wanderer does not establish anything immovable, that is, neither houses, nor gardens, nor anything of the kind, on someone else's land, except for what is necessary, without which it is impossible to live. In the same way, for a true Christian, everything in this world is immovable, everything will be left in this world, including the body itself. The holy Apostle speaks of this: "For we have brought nothing into the world; it is evident that we can take nothing out of it (1 Tim. 6:7). Therefore, a true Christian does not seek anything in this world except what is necessary, saying to the Apostle: "Having food and clothing, we will be content with this" (1 Tim. 6:8). A wanderer sends movable things, such as money and goods, to his Fatherland or carries them. In the same way, for a true Christian, movable things in this world, which he can take with him into the next age, are good works. He tries to gather them here, living in the world, as a spiritual merchant is a spiritual commodity, and to bring them to his heavenly Fatherland, and with them to appear and appear before the Heavenly Father. The Lord, Christians, admonishes us about this: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal" (Matt. 6:20).

The sons of this world care for the mortal body, and pious souls care for the immortal soul. The sons of this world seek their temporal and earthly treasures, but pious souls strive for eternal and heavenly things and desire such blessings that eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and it has not entered into the heart of man (1 Corinthians 2:9). They look upon this treasure, invisible and incomprehensible by faith, and despise all earthly things. The sons of this world are trying to be glorified on earth. And true Christians seek glory in heaven, where their Fatherland is. The sons of this world adorn their bodies with various garments. And the sons of the kingdom of God adorn the immortal soul and, according to the admonition of the Apostle, are clothed with mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, and long-suffering (Col. 3:12). And therefore the sons of this world are senseless and foolish, for they seek that which in itself is nothing. But the sons of the kingdom of God are prudent and wise, since they are concerned about what eternal blessedness contains in themselves.

A wanderer in a foreign land is bored to live. In the same way, it is boring and sorrowful for a true Christian to live in this world. He is everywhere in this world exiled, imprisoned and exiled, as remote from the heavenly Fatherland. "Woe is me," says St. David, "that my life in exile is long (Psalm 119:5). In the same way, the other saints lament and sigh about this. A wanderer, although bored with living in a foreign land, nevertheless lives for the sake of need, for the sake of which he left his Fatherland. In the same way, although it is sorrowful for a true Christian to live in this world, nevertheless, as long as God commands, he lives and endures this pilgrimage.

A pilgrim always has his Fatherland and his home in his mind and memory, and he wishes to return to his Fatherland. The Jews, being in Babylon, always had in mind and memory their Fatherland, Jerusalem, and fervently desired to return to their Fatherland. In the same way, true Christians in this world, as on the rivers of Babylon, sit and weep, remembering the heavenly Jerusalem – the Heavenly Fatherland, and to it they lift up their eyes with sighing and weeping, and desire to come there. That is why we sigh, desiring to put on our heavenly habitation, sighs St. Paul with the faithful (2 Corinthians 5:2). For the sons of this world, who are addicted to the world, the world is like a fatherland and a paradise, and therefore they do not want to leave it. But the sons of the Kingdom of God, who have separated themselves from the world in their hearts and endure all kinds of sorrows in the world, desire to come to that Fatherland. For a true Christian in this world, life is nothing but eternal suffering and the cross.

When the pilgrim returns to his Fatherland, to his home, his family, neighbors and friends rejoice at him and welcome his safe arrival. Thus, when a Christian, having finished his pilgrimage in the world, comes to the heavenly Fatherland, all the angels and all the holy inhabitants of heaven rejoice over him. A wanderer who has come to his Fatherland and his home lives in safety and calms down. In the same way, a Christian who has entered the heavenly Fatherland calms down, lives in safety and fears nothing, rejoices and rejoices in his blessedness.

From here you see, Christian:

1) Our life in this world is nothing but wandering and transmigration, as the Lord says: "Ye are strangers and aliens before me" (Lev. 25:23).

2) Our true Fatherland is not here, but in heaven, and for it we were created, renewed by Baptism and called by the Word of God.

3) As those who have been called to heavenly goods, we should not seek earthly things and cling to them, except for the necessary, such as food, clothing, home, and so on.

4) A Christian living in the world desires nothing more than eternal life, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also (Matt. 6:21).

5) Whoever wants to be saved must depart from the world in his heart, until his soul departs from the world.

6) Whoever in this world seeks how to become rich and glorified, thereby shows that the world, and not heaven, has a Fatherland, and is so deluded that on the day of his death he will understand.

27. Grazhdanin