Aliens in This World

Interesting readings at Mass today!

The first one’s from Isaiah 50. Right before the reading we use for Mass, it says, “The Lord has given me a learned tongue, that I should know how to uphold by word him who is weary.”

Anyway, the reading was Isaiah 50: 5-9. Yup, buffets and spitting. But beyond that:

My vindicator is here at hand.

Does anyone start proceedings against me?
Then let us go to court together.
Who thinks he has a case against me?
Let him approach me.
The Lord is my help,
who will dare to condemn me?

Or, amusingly, in the translation at Mass today, “Who will prove me wrong?”

The psalm was 114, and the second reading was the James bit about faith and works. But then the Gospel passage was Mark 8: 27-35 — “Who do you say that I Am?”

Well, that seems to be the whole question the Pope was trying to answer. And some people didn’t like his answer at all.