33
38.âIt is important to draw out the pastoral con-
sequences of the Councilâs teaching, which re-
flects an ancient conviction of the Church. First,
it needs to be said that in preaching the Gospel a
fitting sense of proportion has to be maintained.
This would be seen in the frequency with which
certain themes are brought up and in the empha-
sis given to them in preaching. For example, if
in the course of the liturgical year a parish priest
speaks about temperance ten times but only
mentions charity or justice two or three times,
an imbalance results, and precisely those virtues
which ought to be most present in preaching and
catechesis are overlooked. The same thing hap-
pens when we speak more about law than about
grace, more about the Church than about Christ,
more about the Pope than about Godâs word.
39.âJust as the organic unity existing among the
virtues means that no one of them can be ex-
cluded from the Christian ideal, so no truth may
be denied. The integrity of the Gospel message
must not be deformed. What is more, each truth
is better understood when related to the harmo-
nious totality of the Christian message; in this
context all of the truths are important and illu-
mine one another. When preaching is faithful
neighbour. He has no need of our sacrifices, but he does ask
that these be offered by us as devotion and for the benefit of
our neighbour. For him, mercy, which overcomes the defects
of our devotion and sacrifice, is the sacrifice which is most
pleasing, because it is mercy which above all seeks the good of
oneâs neighbourâ (
S. Th
., II-II, q. 30, a. 4, ad 1).
