IS 50:4-9A
The phrase “turn the other cheek” has always been a part of the Catholic identity. In this reading Isaiah speaks of exactly that. He says that he “gave my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who plucked my beard.” Isaiah does so because he has the Lord for guidance and therefore will not hide from those who persecute him. Isaiah writes that he is not ashamed because “the Lord GOD is my help.” He is not “disgraced” because he knows God is always at his side, and he challenges anyone who argues his right to confront him. Confront him, he says, because, he repeats, “the Lord GOD is my help; who will prove me wrong?”
When we feel persecuted at any point in life, we are not alone. God is always by our side protecting and comforting us. This passage teaches us that, although we may feel downtrodden at times, we should stand tall. God is our help and will never abandon us.