In the right. A prodigal is someone who squanders his assets without any justification, causing harm to his family and preventing him from fulfilling his material obligations.
The Latin term prodĭgus derived in our language from prodigal . And that, in turn, comes from the Latin verb prodigare , which can be translated as “to consume profusely or to push forward.”
This concept has varied uses and can be found in different contexts. The adjective can be applied to the subject who wastes his resources or who shows contempt for what deserves esteem.
Prodigal in law
By extension, in law the individual who squanders his assets without justification is named as a prodigal, which causes harm to his family and prevents him from fulfilling his material obligations. When a judge issues a final ruling and declares that someone is prodigal, a guardian is assigned who must authorize certain legal acts.
To said person, therefore, what is known as prodigality is applied. For the judge to declare prodigality, there must be a prior request from your descendants or ascendants, your spouse, your representatives or even the treasury. The magistrate must verify that the subject in question endangers his assets without any justification. Once the individual is declared a prodigal, he or she is placed under the guardianship regime: in this way, the judge can annul certain acts that the curator has not approved.
In the Bible, the parable of the prodigal son reflects the importance of acting with mercy.
A biblical parable
Finally, we usually speak of a prodigal son when the descendant of a family returns to his or her father's house, some time after becoming independent.
Precisely this meaning comes to us from the Bible . And the parable of the prodigal son is one of the most important fragments that it has or, at least, has had more significance over the centuries.
In the New Testament , specifically in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 15 – verses 11 to 32), this parable is included, which is used by the Christian religion to transmit different teachings and values:
-It makes it clear that human beings are weak in the face of temptations and can fall into pride.
-It establishes that as a good Christian you must follow the teachings of Christ, but you must also avoid judging others and even be merciful.
-All this without overlooking that determines that sins and bad actions have their inevitable consequences, but that if the person who commits them truly repents, he will finally be forgiven by God.
All this is presented through the story of a father, who has two children and who decides to distribute the inheritance to them during his lifetime. One of them will take his share and leave home to begin a new path, where he will waste all his fortune. This situation will lead him, after different circumstances, to live in misery, so he will decide to return repentant to his father, who will receive him as the son that he is.
Another use of the term prodigal
Prodigal, in another sense, is the adjective that qualifies someone who disposes or offers something in high quantities .
For example: “Thanks to this prodigal land, we were able to obtain food for many years,” “There are no prodigal fields in this province.”