Thomas Aquinas — on 2Cor 5:2 (Commentary on 2 Corinthians)

“Thus, the reward of the saints is wonderful and desirable, because it is heavenly glory. Hence, he links the desire of the saints with this reward, saying: Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling. Here he does three things. First, he expresses the desire of grace for its reward; secondly, he shows that the desire of grace is retarded by the desire of nature (v. 4); thirdly, he shows that the desire of grace overcomes the desire of nature (v. 6). The desire of grace is fervent: Here indeed we groan, and long to put on our heavenly dwelling. As if to say: this is the real proof that we have a house not made with hands, because if the desire of nature is not in vain, much less is the desire of grace in vain. Therefore, since we have a most fervent desire of grace for heavenly glory, it is impossible for it to be in vain; and this is what he says, we groan, i.e., groaning we desire, namely with our soul's desire that we are delayed: "Woe is me that I sojourn in Meshech" (Ps. 120:5). We groan, I say, and long to put on our dwelling, i.e., the enjoyment of glory, which is from heaven, i.e., heavenly. It is called a dwelling because the saints dwell in that glory as their place of consolation: "Enter into the joy of the Lord" (Matt. 25:21). In saying, to put on, he is stating that the heavenly home of which he spoke above is not something separated from man, but something inhering in him. For a man is not said to put on a house, but clothes, but he inhabits a house. In this way he shows that the desire is for something that inheres, because it is put on, and something which contains and exceeds because it is inhabited.”