A State Of Exile

Fidentes igitur semper, et scienties quia inhabitantes in hoc corpore, peregrinamus a Domino; per fidem enim ambulamus, non per speciem. Manifestum est quia per fidem cum Domino sumus, non per praesentiam: ac per hoc peregrinamur non fide, sed specie. Et quare, cum idem dicat in Actibus Apostolorum: In ipso enim vivimus, et movemur, et sumus, hoc loco peregrinari nos a Domino dicit? Si ubique est, quomodo hic positi, peregrinamur a Domino? Sine dubio ubique, immo omnia in Deo sunt: sed quia sedes Dei in coelis est, et illic semper videtur; ideo hic positi, ideo hic positi, ubi non videtur, peregrinari ab eo dicimur. Quando enim non eum videmus, licet praesens sit, absentes ab eo. Ambrosiaster, In Epistolam Beati Pauli Ad Corinthios Secundum, Caput V Source: Migne PL 17.294b-c

Therefore being faithful always and knowing that dwelling in the body we are in exile from the Lord, indeed we walk by faith in Him not by sight.' 1 It is manifest that we are with the Lord by faith, but not by presence, and because of this we are exiled not as regards faith, but from sight. And why, when the same man says in the Acts of the Apostles, 'In Him we live and move and have our being' 2 does he say here that we are exiles from the Lord? If God is everywhere, how being placed here are we exiles from the Lord? Without doubt God is everywhere, and all things are in God, but since the throne of God is heaven and He is always seen there, therefore placed here, where He is not seen, we are said to be exiled from Him. For when we do not see Him, He is indeed present, but we are absent from Him. Ambrosiaster, Commentary On The Second Letter of Saint Paul To The Corinthians, Chapter 5 1 2 Cor 5.6-7 2 Acts 17.28