Psalms — Chapter 45

DEUS NOSTER REFUGIUM ET VIRTUS. Lapide: Psalm 45 — the great "Fortress" psalm. "Our God is our refuge and strength, a helper in tribulations." Luther made this psalm the basis of "Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott," which Lapide (writing in the same era) implicitly counters by showing the Catholic interpretation: the fortress is not merely a metaphor of individual trust but the Church herself — "civitas Dei" (city of God), the visible community of the faithful gathered around the sacraments.