""My mother and my brethren are they who hear the word of God and keep it" (see Lk. 11:27-28). The Teacher of morals, who sets Himself up as an example to others, and is in fact the preceptor, actually carries out His own precepets. Before enjoining on others that he who leaves not his father and mother is not worthy of the Son of God, He first in His own person subject Himself to this sentence. Not that He should thereby renounce the duty of filial piety toward His Mother-after all, it is His command: "He who honoreth not his father and mother shall he die the death" (Exod. 20:12; 21:15); rather is it because He realizes that He is bound more to the mysteries of His Father than to affection toward His Mother. But here there is no wrongful forsaking of parents. To the contrary, spiritual ties are taught to be more religious than such as are corporal...And let no suppose that there is here any offense against the filial piety that the Law prescribes. For if a man is to leave father and mother and "to cleave his wife, and they are to be two in one flesh," than surely this mystery is justly realized in Christ and the Church (see Eph. 5:31). He could not therefore prefer parents to His own [Mystical] Body. Here, then, the Mother is not denied-as certain heretics would artfully make out-for she is acknowledged even from the Cross. Rather, preference over ties of flesh is given to a type of relationship which is prescribed from above. Again, there is nothing repugnant in this interpretation. For He is showing under the figure of His relations that the Church which believes is preferred to the Jews, of whom is Christ according to the flesh."