Catholics hold to the law of gradualness but *not* the gradualness of law! What this means is this: there are *not* various degrees to the moral order. Things cannot be good for one person and evil for another. However, because human beings are imperfect, there can be growth and development in a persons acceptance of the moral order. Conversion is not usually instantaneously complete! Saint John Paul the Great wrote about it in this manner: But man, who has been called to live Gods wise and loving design in a responsible manner, is an historical being who day by day builds himself up through his many free decisions; and so he knows, loves and accomplishes moral good by stages of growth. Married people too are called upon to progress unceasingly in their moral life, with the support of a sincere and active desire to gain ever better knowledge of the values enshrined in and fostered by the law of God. They must also be supported by an upright and generous willingness to embody these values in their concrete decisions. They cannot however look on the law as merely an ideal to be achieved in the future: they must consider it as a command of Christ the Lord to overcome difficulties with constancy. And so what is known as the law of gradualness or step-by-step advance cannot be identified with gradualness of the law, as if there were different degrees or forms of precept in Gods law for different individuals and situations. In Gods plan, all husbands and wives are called in marriage to holiness, and this lofty vocation is fulfilled to the extent that the human person is able to respond to Gods command with serene confidence in Gods grace and in his or her own will. (Familiaris consortio, no. 34;vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_jp-ii_exh_19811122_familiaris-consortio_en.html)
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 00:02:21 +0000
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