Brother living in sin invites you to dinner. Do you go?

[howletus]

So my older brother is now divorced. He was married in the church and no annulment. He is now living with the girl he carried on an 8 month affair with while his wife was home with their 13 month old daughter and pregnant with his second daughter. He knows where I stand. He seems more concerned with me than God. He says he talked to a priest. They are living together as brother and sister for financial reasons. His girlfriend like the woman he married before her is going through the RCIA program. Not sure where this is coming from. He invited the family to dinner at their new place. I am the only one in a Catholic family of 6 that has made the effort to learn about his faith. I understand why this is wrong. I know what this living situation will lead to. I know the bad example he is setting for his daughters. I know the wedge he is putting between him and the mother of his children.
I know and I don’t feel right going. Because he doesn’t understand, I think if I say I can’t go he would think I am crazy.
“Yeah, it’s wrong to live in sin but come on”. This is what he would be thinking. I know where he’s coming from because I’ve been there. Not any more. It amazes me and sometimes scares me how acceptable all this is, even among Catholics, and how contradictory this is to the way we are called to live. We all know the 10 commandments but it’s just not real when it ends at rules. Bottom line. I don’t want to go.

Advice/throughts please…

 

[Fr.Vincent_Serpa]

Hi,

Your brother knows what your thinking is on the matter. He is saying one thing with his mouth and another with his actions.

You, on the other hand, need to say the same thing with your actions as you do with your mouth. Don’t go.

I will keep this in prayer.

Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.