“the older son had been out in the field…he refused to enter the house”
The story of the Prodigal Son is one of the most popular stories in the Bible. In the story there are essentially three main characters: The younger son, the older son, and the father. This lesson will focus on the older son.
Why was the older son angry? The older son was angry because he felt the younger son did not deserve such a celebration after blowing his inheritance, while he, the older son, had stayed with his father for so many years and received nothing.
How has the older son erred by thinking he has received “nothing”? As the father points out, as long as the older son stays with him, the older son has everything. The older son should examine himself and ask “why did you stay at your father’s house? Was it for the love of your father, or just out of blind service? ‘Those who have remained at home are also to take part in the celebration; these have been faithful to their duty, but perhaps more through habit than from love, which has made them incapable of understanding the Father’s love for their brothers, incapable too of rejoicing in it and sharing in it. Thus they are also in need of pardon.’”[i] Are we in our Father’s house because we love Him? If so we will understand that God has given us everything, and we rejoice when a fellow brother or sister returns from sin to grace. “We should also consider that if God has compassion towards sinners, he must have much more towards those who strive to be faithful to him. St. Therese of Lisieux understood this very well: ‘What joy to remember that our Lord is just; that he makes allowances for all our shortcomings, and knows full well how weak we are. What have I to fear then? Surely the God of infinite justice who pardons the prodigal son with such mercy will be just with me ‘who am always with Him’?”[ii]
What sin does the older brother commit? The older brother is guilty of the sin of pride.
What is pride? Pride is “an inordinate esteem of oneself—inordinate because it is contrary to the truth. One is guilty of pride when he or she desires to be considered better than that person really is. Pride can take many forms: by taking personal credit for gifts or possessions as if they had not been received from God, by glorying in achievements as if they were not primarily the result of Divine goodness and grace, by minimizing one’s defects or claiming qualities that are not actually possessed, by holding oneself superior to others or disdaining them because they lack what the proud person has, or by magnifying the defects of others or dwelling on them. When pride is carried to the extent that a person is unwilling to acknowledge dependence on God and refuses to submit his or her will to God or lawful authority, it is a grave sin. In this case, the gravity arises because that person shows contempt for God or of those who take His place. Otherwise, pride is said to be imperfect and venially wrong. While pride is not the only sin, it can lead to all sorts of sins, notably presumption, ambition, vainglory, boasting, hypocrisy, strife, and disobedience. Pride strives for perverse excellence. It despises others and, depending on its perversity, even looks down upon God. The remedies for pride are a sincere knowledge of oneself, the acceptance of daily humiliations, avoidance of even the least self-complacency, humble acknowledgment of one’s faults, and prayerful communion with God.”[iii]
ACTIVITY – Am I Prideful?
We can examine our self to see how much we are like the older brother. Break the definition of pride down to the following areas and write down examples in your life when you have been prideful.
Takes personal credit for gifts or possessions, as if they had not been received from God.
Glories in achievements, as if they were not primarily the result of Divine goodness and grace.
Minimizes one’s defects or claiming qualities that are not actually possessed.
Holds oneself superior to others or disdaining them because they lack what the proud person has.
Magnifies the defects of others or dwelling on them.
Both sons were prideful. Use the definition above to answer the following questions. How was the younger son prideful? How was the older son prideful?
Who did Jesus hope would benefit from this parable? “This parable was spoken principally for the Pharisees, who reproached our Savior for the love He bore publicans and sinners; at the same time it is a trustworthy testimony, for all sinners, to the willingness of God, the best Father, to receive at all times, and with most compassionate love, every one, even the greatest sinner, who truly repents, forgiving and forgetting all his misdeeds. ‘The food of the Heavenly Father is our salvation,’ says St. Ambrose, ‘and His joy is our redemption from our sins.’ If you have sinned like the prodigal son, should not the unspeakable love and goodness of God move you to conversion?”[iv]
[i] Commentaries of Gospel of Luke, pg. 178
[ii] Commentaries of Gospel of Luke, pg. 178
[iii] Hardon, Modern Catholic Dictionary, pg. 437
[iv] Goffine, The Church’s Year pg. 157