Why do you allow (evil) spirit to keep away Holy Spirit in baptism, wedding, house-warming parties

  When Jancy, the only daughter of Mr and Mrs Benno (names changed) got ready to receive the first Holy Communion some years ago, they were more than happy. They wanted to celebrate the occasion with much fanfare, in the presence of friends and relatives.

 On the D-day, the bishop of the diocese himself came personally to give the first Holy Communion to nearly a dozen children. Bishop spoke in detail about the significance and importance of the occasion. After the Holy Mass, Mr Benno, his family and friends went to the restaurant – cake was cut and wine served. So far so good.

  The “highlight” of the celebration then followed. He opened the liquor counter. He had stocked all varieties – rum, whisky, beer and brandy. Friends and relatives flocked to the liquor counter. Yes, liquor virtually flowed. Many people went home sozzled.

    This is a common sight, which is nothing but despicable and abominable, in Roman Catholic parishes. Think about this – your child is receiving Jesus Christ for the first time in his/her life. The Holy Spirit is coming into the body and spirit of the child. However, Mr Benno is inviting the evil spirit by consuming liquor and offering it to others as part of the “celebrations”. People like Mr Benno are destroying the holiness of the occasion with such practices. They play into the hands of devil. For one soul gained for Jesus, the devil takes away 15 others.

   I attended the wedding reception of the daughter of Mr and Mrs VG, my friends in my previous parish in Mumbai. After the marriage was solemnized in the church, people moved to the reception venue. The usual song and dance numbers were performed. There was not a single song or dance praising/ worshipping God. Vulgar songs from Hindi film songs were belted out. The dance numbers were equally shocking with scantily clad women gyrating to tawdry songs.

 The second part was alcohol. There was a bar on the one side of the reception area where people queued up with great enthusiasm and energy. My God. It’s shocking. The booze party actually started in the previous night. Liquor started flowing and the so-called men of God got drunk. The newly wed couple was united by God in a solemn service in the church. Then why should one indulge in this tamasha in the wedding reception. Do you think Jesus will approve of such things? Jesus will keep away from such occasions. You’re giving room to devil for his nefarious activities.

   I recently attended the house-warming party of a fellow Christian. It was the same story. Almost 75 per cent of the people in the party were sozzled and reeking of alcohol. Hours earlier, a priest had blessed the house. But the cocktail party ensured that evil spirit came back with a bang. Sad.          

   Bible clearly says against getting drunk. Says Galatians 5:21: “Envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

  I recently happened to hear a talk by Rev Fr Joseph Kochuparambil on Shalom television channel, warning against serving liquor during baptism and marriage celebrations. He also raised his voice against the trend of people getting drunk when their relatives pass away. Is it to drown their sorrows? No. Instead of praying for the soul of the departed father or mother, son gets sozzled. When the coffin lies in the living room of the house, drinking sessions go on for long hours in the bedroom. This is a reality in some Syro-Malabar Catholic families in Kerala, India. I don’t know whether this social ill is prevalent in European countries and the US.

  I have seen priests warning Christians against such “celebration”, but it continues without any fear or reverence towards Almighty God. People fail to understand the meaning of sacraments. They go by the world’s standards and stay away from Jesus and His teachings.

  My intention is not to run down Catholic families. This custom of serving liquor is devilish. For some it has become a matter of prestige and status to serve liquor during solemn occasions. Jesus can’t tolerate it. You’re keeping the Holy Spirit away by resorting to such odious practices.

 God is saying it directly. God completely disapproves drunkenness, whether it’s during wedding, baptism or any other occasion. You’re driving away the Holy Spirit. And the result is that the evil spirit then takes control of your life. It becomes a big bondage and you will lose the grace of God. Don’t play into the hands of devil. They forget what Bible says. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.”

   We must stop this practice of serving liquor during wedding and baptism parties. If we can abolish it totally from our lives, Jesus will be the happiest. Evil ideas, thoughts and actions come to our mind after consuming alcohol. We can be sober in our life. That’s better for our life in this world and afterward.

‘This will not last long, two or three years, and then, to the House of the Father’

   Pope Francis has said he has another two or three years left before going to “the House of the Father”.

  When journalists asked Pope about how he perceives his “intense popularity”, he said he “thanks the Lord that His people are happy and for the generosity of the people”.  “Inside, I try to think of my sins and my mistakes so as to not believe that… because I know that this will not last long, two or three years, and then, to the House of the Father,” he said in an impromptu press conference aboard the papal plane after his visit to Korea.

He also spoke about the ongoing violence against Christians and other minorities in Iraq, and about plans for future foreign trips. Excerpts from an article published by Vatican Radio:

On persecution of Christians by fundamentalists of the Islamic State (IS):

 It is legitimate to halt the unjust aggressor. The methods used to halt the aggressor are to be evaluated. In these cases we must not forget how many times with the excuse of halting the unjust aggressor (…) have powerful nations taken possession of peoples and waged a war of conquest!” A single nation cannot judge how to stop an unjust aggressor. The United Nations is the right venue to discuss the issue. Persecuted Christians are close to his heart… there are also other minorities suffering persecution, and they all have the same rights.

On traveling to Kurdistan:

 Pope said he is ready to do so if it is deemed a good thing to do. At the moment, however, he pointed to the various initiatives undertaken by the Vatican, such as sending Cardinal Fernando Filoni, writing to the UN Secretary General, and writing a personal communiqué that was sent to all the nunciatures and governments in the area.     

On tensions and internal war in many nations:

  Today, we are in a world at war – everywhere! It is a world at war where these cruelties are carried out. Today, children don’t count. Once, one spoke of conventional warfare. Today, this doesn’t count.  I am not saying conventional warfare is a good thing, no.  But today a bomb goes off and you have an innocent killed with the guilty one, the child, with the woman, with the mother… they kill everyone. The level of mankind’s cruelty at this moment is a little frightening.

  Today, torture is one of the most – I’d say – ordinary methods of behavior of the intelligence services, of judicial process.  And torture is a sin against humanity; it is a crime against humanity. And to Catholics, I say: to torture a person is a mortal sin; it is a grave sin!

 On relations with China:

 Pope Francis said he happened to be in the cockpit when the plane was about to enter Chinese airspace. He said he “prayed intensely for that noble and wise people”. His thoughts turned to the Jesuits and to Father Matteo Ricci and expressed his love for the Chinese people. He also referred to the letter written by Benedict XVI regarding relations with China and said this letter is still very up-to-date and it is good idea to read it again. The Holy See is always open to be in touch, because it has true esteem for the Chinese people.

On his next trip:

 He referred to the history of Albania, which was unique among the communist nations in that its Constitution foresaw practical atheism. If you went to Mass, it was anti-constitutional” he said. And he recalled that 1820, churches were destroyed in Albania. So, today he feels the need to go there. Pope Francis also mentioned his desire to travel to Philadelphia next year for the World Meeting of Families and said he has received a “shower” of invitations from across the world including New York, Mexico and Spain. But, he said, nothing has been decided yet.

On relationship with Benedict XVI:

 (I) visited him before departure for Korea and discussed theological questions.  Benedict’s resignation a noble, humble and courageous gesture… (I) would consider doing the same. He opened a door which is 'institutional' not 'exceptional' ”.

On tough work schedule and vacation:

 He said he has taken some vacation time at home… (I) read an interesting book about being “happy to be neurotic". 

 I have some neuroses and you need to treat them well. I am a bit too attached to life.  The last time (I) had taken a vacation with the Jesuit community outside Buenos Aires was in 1975.  When (I) take time off now from busy schedule, I sleep more, read the things that I like, listen to music, pray more… In July and part of August I did this and it’s ok.

 On what he does every day while in the Vatican and the Santa Marta guesthouse:

  I think I’m free…There are the office, the work appointments… Sure, I’d like to be able to go out, but it’s not possible, not possible.”  Within Santa Marta, I have a normal life of work, rest, chatting. There are reasons for some of the constraints though “some walls have fallen.”

 On his latest encyclical on the environment in the works:

 It has been written with much collaboration from Cardinal Peter Turkson (President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace) and others, and it is still being revised. It is “one-third longer than ‘Evangelii Gaudium’ and that it posed many difficult questions, because  it is possible to discuss the stewardship of creation and ecology with clarity “only to a certain point, but then scientific hypotheses come into play, some feasible, and others perhaps not”. An encyclical that must adhere to the Magisterium must be based only on certainties.

  

On invocation of peace in Holy Land that took place in Vatican:

It was not a failure. The event sprung from the political leaders themselves, who could not find the right place to do it. Initially they wanted to organize it when the Pope was in the Holy Land in May in a neutral venue like the Nunciature. But that would have posed problems as the president of the State of Palestine would have had to enter Israel and it was not easy. So they said to me: “Let’s do it in the Vatican!” the Pope said. They are both men of peace. They are convinced that the only way forward is the way of negotiation and dialogue. And today that door is still open… were there to open the door of prayer. Peace is a gift and it was important to show humanity that the way of negotiation and dialogue is important, and it is not possible without prayer. Today, we cannot see that door through the smoke of the bombs, but it is open.

Excessive clericalism bedevilling Catholic church

  If there’s someone who consistently opposes the clerical attitude in the Roman Catholic Church, that’s the Pope himself. Time and again, Pope Francis has been broaching the subject of clericalism in the church, much to the discomfort of many in the church.

 He has understood that the menace of clericalism is at the root of most of the problems troubling the Catholic Church.

 According to Unam Sanctam Catholicam, clericalism is defined as a state of affairs in which there is an unnecessary or overly exaggerated importance attributed to clergy, in such a way that the laity relate to them as subjects to be ruled rather than a people to be lovingly pastored. “Basically, a clericalist ideology is one that places too much emphasis on the clergy or attributes undue importance to their actions. It is a defect of the virtue of temperance by excess as applied to the government of the Church,” it says.

  It has often led to sacramental blackmails in the church which are suppressed within its four walls.

 Last week, returning to one of his favourite themes of the Church as a field hospital for those who have been wounded, Pope Francis said God’s people are seeking and needing to be consoled. “The Church has many wounds and some of them have been caused by us, priests and practising Catholics,” he said.

 So often, he added, our “clerical attitudes” have done much damage to the Church. However, he continued, there are “no wounds that cannot be consoled by the love of God and priests are called to tend to these wounds, with the certainty that God will always bring forgiveness and hope”.

  In one of his homilies in December 2013, Pope Francis prayed, “Lord, free your people from a spirit of clericalism and aid them with a spirit of prophecy.” Pope Francis then said, in the Gospel, those who met Christ with a spirit of prophecy welcomed him as the Messiah, but without it, “the void that is left is occupied by clericalism; and it is this clericalism that asks Jesus, ‘By what authority do you do these things? By what law?”

  Writing in National Catholic Reporter, Robert McClory said, “clericalism is contagious, breeding a kind of mentality that revels in ecclesiastical ambition, status and power. For some, especially those attracted to the episcopacy, it often leads to indifference toward the experiences and needs of ordinary Catholics. It encourages the creation (or repetition) of teachings and regulations worked out in ivory-tower isolation from the real world.”

 “For many generations earnest, young male seminarians have been taught that they are aspiring to a higher level not available to the laity, a level at which they will have the authority to teach, sanctify and govern those below,” he says.

 “In effect, they become members of a kind of boys club that is warm, supportive and exclusive — and never breaks ranks. For what they give up, they can expect a relatively high standard of living and the respect, even adulation (at least until the abuse scandal hit), of their grateful congregations,” McClory writes.

 “Priests were so well respected that they were often times feared rather than loved, the sacraments so revered that their power was almost magical, the stress on clerical obedience so emphatic that independent thought was stifled, and the hierarchy exercised so much power that the priesthood became in effect a boundary restricting the faithful's access to God rather than an intermediary who brought their petitions to God,” says Unam Sanctam Catholicam.

 Will Pope succeed in eliminating clericalism from the Catholic Church? He himself set an example with his frugal lifestyle, avoiding pomp and pageantry, after becoming the Pope. It’s not going to be an easy task.

  Please read what Pope says in Evangelii Gaudium. “A clear awareness of this responsibility of the laity, grounded in their baptism and confirmation, does not appear in the same way in all places. In some cases, it is because lay persons have not been given the formation needed to take on important responsibilities,” Pope says.

  “In others, it is because in their particular Churches room has not been made for them to speak and to act, due to an excessive clericalism which keeps them away from decision-making. Even if many are now involved in the lay ministries, this involvement is not reflected in a greater penetration of Christian values in the social, political and economic sectors,” Pope writes. It often remains tied to tasks within the Church, without a real commitment to applying the Gospel to the transformation of society. The formation of the laity and the evangelization of professional and intellectual life represent a significant pastoral challenge, Pope says in the apostolic exhortation.

 The following incident is a classic case of clericalism happened over two years ago. Similar incidents are frequent in the Catholic world but remain unreported.

 An unmarried woman with a baby had to embark on a depressing pilgrimage around Buenos Aires city to find a place where she could have her baby baptised. She was turned away by priests.

 The Archbishop of the region questioned, “Why a poor girl, who has resisted the temptation to have an abortion and stood up at great cost to herself for the right to life should be persecuted in such a way.”

 The Archbishop reminded the priests that the young woman was requesting baptism for her child, not herself, and that they have no right to deny a sacrament in that manner.

“I say this with sadness and if it sounds like a complaint or an offensive comment please forgive me: in our ecclesiastical region there are presbyteries that will not baptise children whose mothers are not married, because they have been conceived outside holy wedlock,” a Vatican insider quoted the Archbishop as saying.

 The Archbishop said he was making a call to end what he called sacramental blackmail.

 He went on to speak about the hijacking of a sacrament, calling it an expression of a rigorous and “hypocritical neo-clericalism”, which uses the sacraments as tools to affirm its own supremacy.

 He was critical of priests for what he described as rubbing the fragility and the wounds of people in their faces by hosing down their hopes and expectations, simply because they do not fit squarely into parish requirements or live up to someone else’s moral expectation.

  He said that apart from being misleading, such pastoral models distort and reject the dynamic of Jesus Christ’s incarnation, which he pointed out cannot be reduced to a doctrinal slogan or used to serve the power hungry.

 The Archbishop was none other than Jorge Mario Bergoglio – currently Pope Francis. This happened months before his selection as Pope.

Nobody understands you? Then you need fellowship with Holy Spirit -- By Simmy Joshi

 “Nobody understands me,” my Mumbai-based cousin often tells me. 

 This is not her grouse alone. This is a common complaint that each one of us makes at one juncture or the other. I’m also not spared. I think there would hardly be any person who has not thought along these lines.

 One thing is clear: No relationship can completely satisfy you except in your association with the Lord. If you have put your relationship right with the Lord, all other relationships would flourish and grow effectively. That is, it enables us to remain satisfied and can satisfy others as well.

  So establishing constant and continual fellowship with the Lord is important for an individual to lead a contented and fulfilling life. This also gives you wisdom from God. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority” (Col 2: 9 – 10 NIV).

 One needs to understand that you are blessed with a Heavenly Father who understands you completely. “God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us” (Act 15:8 NIV). The very thought of being understood by God is indeed refreshing to all of us. This assurance can relieve us of all the humongous and boundless efforts to impress others and gain their recognition and praise.

  Even in the most intimate and closest of relationships as marriage, the couple could remain clueless over certain behaviour or reactions even after long years of being together. This is true even for the couples who lead successful married life. This is not because of lack of communication or any other problems between them, but it is the reality that no person can understand another person fully. But the cravings for people to be understood do exist and so we get frustrated if this craving is not fulfilled in any of our relationships.

 To avoid frustration and other serious problems in our worldly relationships, one needs to establish a good relationship with the Lord. We also get the freedom from the constant efforts to please or satisfy us as well as other people around. God expect that from each one of us. “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15: 4 – 5 NIV). “But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you.” (Romans 8: 10 NIV). 

  Thoughts about our Heavenly Father who understands and knows even our intentions are extremely relieving for a genuine and sincere person. This assurance would help us to tide over confrontations, accusations, criticisms and other negative life situations very easily. That is, we would no longer be affected by the small and big setbacks or upsets and other negative life situations that we confront on a daily basis. Through continual fellowship with the Lord we would be trained to look up to the Lord for the solution, rather than wasting time thinking about the issue and thereby getting deeply entangled in the issue. “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41: 10 NIV). 

 If Christ takes control of us, we can live peacefully and happily.  

  In any relationship, say husband-wife; parent-child relationships; relationship between siblings, neighbours, friends, etc one cannot follow a clear-cut rule or policy to make it successful. There are lots of ups and downs in any relationship and it is the mental stability of the individual which helps him to attain the needed balance in any relationship. This state of mind (mental stability) can be attained only through the help of the Holy Spirit, the Helper whom God has given us. That is, only a spirit-filled person can take both negative and positive happenings with a peaceful mind. Holy Spirit would always fill us with the right thoughts, decisions and remind us what to speak, act and decide. “But the Father will send the Friend in my name to help you. The Friend is the Holy Spirit. He will teach you all things. He will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14: 26 NIV).

  If you sincerely urge for the infilling of the Holy Spirit you can become an anointed person and get freed from the worthless efforts to please people and the world. So take conscious efforts to taste and experience the gifts of the Holy Spirit and get better day by day...
 (The writer is a marine biologist based in Cochin)

THE GREAT EXODUS OF THIS CENTURY: Christianity finished in Iraq after 2000 years

 History is repeating itself. The painful saga of exodus in Bible is being reenacted in Iraq, one of the cradles of Christianity in the world. Christianity is now as good as extinct in the country after a series of religious cleansing, killings and exodus.
  Christians are fleeing on foot with no food, money or water to escape the wrath of ISIS militants. And it’s a pity that the conscience of the world has still not woken up. “Today the story of Christianity is finished in Iraq,” said a priest who identified himself as Fr. Nawar, according to CNA website.
 “People can’t stay in Iraq because there is death for whoever stays,” he was quoted as saying by CNA.
  Vatican is following with deep concern the dramatic news reports coming from northern Iraq, which involve defenseless populations. Christian communities are particularly affected: a people fleeing from their villages because of the violence that rages in these days, wreaking havoc on the entire region.
  In light of these terrible developments, Pope Francis renewed his spiritual closeness to all those who are suffering through this painful trial, and makes the impassioned appeals of the local bishops his own, asking together with them in behalf of their sorely tried communities, that the whole Church and all the faithful raise up with one voice a ceaseless prayer, imploring the Holy Spirit to send the gift of peace.
  Pope called on the international community to protect all those affected or threatened by the violence, and to guarantee all necessary assistance – especially the most urgently needed aid – to the great multitude of people who have been driven from their homes, whose fate depends entirely on the solidarity of others.
 The Pope also appealed to the conscience of all people, and to each and every believer he repeats: “May the God of peace create in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence is not conquered with violence. Violence is conquered with peace! Let us pray in silence, asking for peace; everyone, in silence....”
 The Obama administration announced late Thursday night that it had authorized “targeted airstrikes” to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe and defend U.S. military advisors in the Iraqi capital of Irbil. It is also airdropping humanitarian aid to a Yazidi group trapped in the mountains of Sinjar without access to food or water.
  According to reports from BBC News, the Islamic State militants have taken down crosses and burned religious manuscripts.  Islamic State forces have given an ultimatum to Christians and other minorities demanding that they convert, pay the jizya tax or be killed.

He made no reply, not even to a single charge

 By SB

 When I was driving back home after dropping my kids at the school, I had to pass through a narrow lane with hardly space for one vehicle. Suddenly a scooter which was behind me suddenly brushed my car and tried to overtake, but the rider, a lady, couldn’t do it as the lane was too narrow for her.  

  She showered her choicest curses – yes, in a very abusive language – on me. I was dumbstruck for a couple of seconds by the reaction of the foul-mouthed lady. Should I react or not? I was thinking. Should I shout back or not? I was a bit angry with the uncourteous lady, but I decided not to be pejorative and instead kept quiet. I pressed on the gas and raced ahead, suddenly overtaking the scooter and sped past her. She continued her verbal assault but I didn’t look back.

  Later when I thought over and over about the incident, I wondered: I showed restraint though the other lady was abusive. I meditated about it and a Bible verse came to my mind.

  It was from a scene from the passion of Jesus. See what Mathew 26:62-63 says, “Then the high priest stood up and said to Jesus, 'Are you not going to answer? What is this testimony that these men are bringing against you?' But Jesus remained silent.”

 Again, in Mathew 27:13-14, we can read, “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge — to the great amazement of the governor.”

  Jesus could have defended Himself. He could have shouted back and explain the reality. But He chose to hear all the abuses of high priests and soldiers. This is one lesson we have not yet learned. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger,” says James 1:19.

  We sometimes face wrong allegations and accusations. We are sometimes blamed for something which we are not responsible. But don’t overreact. As the Proverb says, “even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

  I didn’t overreact in the scooter incident. On any other day, I would have showed my anger and disapproval and retaliated verbally. But somehow, I was able to withstand it.

 In short, we have to learn a lot on reacting to circumstances and situations. If we show restraint, we can avoid many ugly scenes and incidents. We read about road rages in metropolitan cities like Mumbai. Most of them start in a very small way: in one case it started with honking and in another case it was refusal to allow overtaking. Such incidents start with small arguments and end up even in murders.

  Silence is golden on some occasions. That’s what Jesus teaches us.

   

 

Who is the real prodigal son?

  One of the poignant stories in the Bible is the parable of the prodigal son. St Luke has portrayed it vividly (Luke 15:11-32) to describe different dimensions of the lives of a loving father and his two sons with contrasting lifestyles and attitudes. The central character is the elder son, who, like many of us, Pharisees and Scribes, turns jealous and calumnious. 

The younger son took his share of family property and left the household. He squandered the money and fell into hard times. “The central characters of the parable appear to be the prodigal son and the loving father who welcomed him back for many people. But I think the character to watch is the elder son,” says Rev Fr Biju Kollamkunnel of Little Flower Church, Nerul, in his homily on Sunday.
 When you look at the persona of the elder son, you can see  a couple of things. First of all, Jesus narrated this parable to people when Pharisees and Scribes started murmuring and whining about tax collectors and prostitutes who flocked to listen to the Word of God from Jesus. The ‘prodigal son’ was aimed at these Pharisees and Scribes whose attitude is similar to the elder son in the prodigal son parable.
  “Not only that, look at what he says about his younger brother. The elder son said he squandered the money with prostitutes. The loving father or the younger son or the servants didn’t say that. We also have a tendency to indulge in slander and character assassination of other people,” Rev Fr Biju says. The elder son is a perfect example of how one should not be in life.  
 The Bible says, “He was angry and refused to go in. His father came out and entreated him, but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me even a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!”
   He caviled and grumbled against the loving father. When you read the Bible, you will come across numerous occasions when Scribes and Pharisees behaved like the elder son. And we’re not far behind them. We’re one step ahead of him in our daily life.  
 The elder son was blinded by jealousy. He was not happy at the prospect of the younger son  back in the family. This is despite knowing and hearing that whatever the father has got is for him alone. For, there’s a custom in the Jewish families in those times that elder son gets two times the share of the property. Here, he would have got two-third of the family property while the younger had already taken away and destroyed one-third.
 The elder one was upset that younger brother repented and returned to the father’s house. Scribes and Pharisees also behaved like that when sinners came to Jesus. Aren’t some of us are like these Pharisees, Scribes and the elder son? We may not realize it initially or even later. If you’re a sinner, you should repent like the younger son. Don’t behave like the elder son. In short, the real unrepentant prodigal son is the elder brother.