My little brother won't refrain from eating meat on Friday

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Francisco_Fernando

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So when my little brother was picking me up from work and wanted to go first to Jimmy Johns (it was closed), and then to McDonalds. He ordered a Hamburger. And when I discovered that, I tried to confront him. I know I should’ve taken that Hamburger from him. When we went to my parents’ room, my parents failed to yell at him. Both my parents and my little brother had excused the behavior as ‘being sick’, which is bad. I don’t know, he seems to have mental issues and is taking a lot of Vyvanse. He doesn’t seem interested to go to mass on Sunday. My mom excuses him like going to daily mass as the Newman Center. I don’t know why my parents don’t realize that failing to catechize your kids is a mortal sin. My dad keeps saying just wait for him to be catechized.
 
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Francisco_Fernando said:
So when my little brother was picking me up from work and wanted to go first to Jimmy Johns (it was closed), and then to McDonalds. He ordered a Hamburger. And when I discovered that, I tried to confront him. I know I should’ve taken that Hamburger from him. When we went to my parents’ room, my parents failed to yell at him. Both my parents and my little brother had excused the behavior as ‘being sick’, which is bad. I don’t know, he seems to have mental issues and is taking a lot of Vyvanse. He doesn’t seem interested to go to mass on Sunday. My mom excuses him like going to daily mass as the Newman Center. I don’t know why my parents don’t realize that failing to catechize your kids is a mortal sin. My dad keeps saying just wait for him to be catechized.
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I would ultimately defer to a priest on this, but if your brother is under this kind of medical care, he may be dispensed from the obligation. If he is under 14, there is no obligation to begin with.

In any event, he’d already made up his mind to eat the hamburger, so if there was any sin in this, he’s already committed it in his mind and will. I do not think any of us are obliged physically to prevent others from eating meat on Friday.

What your parents do (or fail to do) is ultimately their call, not yours, and you are not responsible for it. Might you be able to catechize your brother yourself, at least to some extent? Anything is better than nothing. Keep in mind that you can also “catechize” him by your actions and your own witness.
 
You’re his sibling, not his parent. It’s not your job to confront him and take food away from him, or to judge your parents.
 
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If he ordered a hamburger there’s no reason you should’ve thought about taking it from him. If he’s been made aware of the “no meat on Fridays” discipline (depending on age and where in the world you are it might not even be the only option open to him) then it’s on him and him alone to live his faith.

In your parents’ home you must respect them and the way they are living (in the cases where families are abusive that’s a whole different topic) and take control of your faith life in the ways that you personally can until you live on your own. Do not cause a ruckus because you think your parents should be doing more. Focus on your own faith and let others come to the Lord in the way that the Lord works with them. It’s not the child’s responsibility to be telling the parents how they should be raising their sibling.
 
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He answers to God and your parents, not to you. You can remind him of the fast, but if he doesn’t wish to keep it, keep your hands off his food.
 
We are all brothers in Christ. We are our brothers keeper. It is his problem on a minor scale.
 
Your brother is an adult, then. It isn’t up to you to ‘discipline’ an adult, confront them or take their food away, and it isn’t your parents’ place to do so now, either. Don’t judge your parents for treating your brother like the grown adult he is, with the ability to make the choices he does. He isn’t a child.
 
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When we are an adult, we get to choose to follow God or not.
It’s hard to see someone not interested in participating in the church, but there is a time to pray for them and let them find their own way.
 
I think you mean he won’t avoid eating meat on Friday. We all go through the process of sanctification in our lives. Some little boys at the age of 6 want to grow up to be a priest, and they end up being a priest when they get older. Other kids are probably glad Mass is called off for a while. I wouldn’t worry, its probably normal for his age. Heck, he might be a better Christian than I was at 22.
 
So, it’s definitely not your place to take his food from him. Nor, actually, your parents’ role to “yell at him.”

He is an adult, and must now assume responsibility for his own observance of the faith.
 
There may be issues going on with your brother your parents are keeping quiet from you and are trying to deal with.
They may be trying to protect his dignity and privacy.
They may be trying to do the best they can with a difficult situation.

You’ve already expressed your concerns. Now please leave them alone.
 
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