Our Heavenly Country

“Let us put away from us our spiritual short-sightedness, and let us cease concentrating all our attention upon temporal, earthly things; let us foresee with our mental vision the future, everlasting life, and rise in our hearts to our heavenly country. Indeed, it is wonderful short-sightedness for the immortal soul only to look upon the present, visible things, generally relating to the senses, and flattering our carnal nature, and not contemplate the life of the world to come—the blessings which ‘eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man,’ but which the Most Merciful and the Most Wise ‘God hath prepared for them that love Him’ (I Cor. 2:9). Of what do we not deprive ourselves through this voluntary short-sightedness! Like flies we adhere to earthly sweets, and do not wish to rise up, to tear ourselves away from them. Blessed is he who despises the joys of this world; there shall be no end to his bliss.”
~St. John of Kronstadt (from My Life in Christ)