Oracle Cure Spells... Why Use Light?

[Shivian]

So if the oracle gains the following upon level 1 (well at least either the Cure or Inflict half of them)...

1) Cure (Inflict) Light Wounds
2) Cure (Inflict) Moderate Wounds
3) Cure (Inflict) Serious Wounds
4) Cure (Inflict) Critical Wounds
5) Mass Cure (Inflict) Light Wounds
6) Mass Cure (Inflict) Moderate Wounds
7) Mass Cure (Inflict) Serious Wounds
8) Mass Cure (Inflict) Critical Wounds

...and can cast any of these options at Level 1, why would they ever use "cure light" when they could use "cure critical"? Is there something I'm missing here?

[Artanthos]

You only get spells of a level you can cast.

Cure Moderate is not available until 4th level. Other spells follow as appropriate.

To put it another way: how many 2nd level spells is your first level oracle allowed to cast per day?

[Chyrone]

They "choose" at lvl 1 which of the two they get as freebies, either cure or inflict, and get them when they meet the CL requirements.

[havoc xiii]

Ummm...cause they don't?

[Shivian]

Ahh, sorry, thank you everyone! Herolab confused myself and the player who was setting up his toon alongside me with all of these options, so that makes more sense now. Thanks!

[Diego Rossi]

And you still use a spell slot to cast them. so if your friend has 9 hp of damage you generally don't use a cure moderate wound that will cure an average of 13 hp at 4th level, you use CLW that will cure an average of 8.5 hp.