Bellarmine on Psalm XXIII: Verse 3

Verse 3

Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord: or who shall stand in his holy place?

Quis ascendet in montem Domini? aut quis stabit in loco sancto ejus?

Since all men are settlers and servants of God and all alike inhabit the earth, which is God’s possession: “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord?” that is, will there be anyone from so great a number, and who will it be, who may be worthy to ascend to the place where God Himself dwells? The mountain of the Lord (as we have said elsewhere) is the heavenly home which is truly sublime and holy, which is mentioned in another Psalm: “The heaven of heaven is the Lord's: but the earth he has given to the children of men.”[1] They who explain this is Mount Sion which was in Jerusalem in Judea, seem to have no solid foundation for their argument because that mount was full of men of every nation so that it would clearly be ridiculous to say of it: “Who shall ascend into the mountain of the Lord?”

[1] The heaven of heaven is the Lord's: but the earth he has given to the children of men. Caelum caeli Domino; terram autem dedit filiis hominum. [Ps. Cxiii. 24]

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.