Luke 14:26

If any man come to Me, &c. That having left all (ver. 33) he may, with the Apostles and the seventy disciples, follow Me, the Master and Teacher of perfection.

All these things are of evangelical counsel, and not of precept although they may be said in a measure to extend to all Christians, inasmuch as they are bound to hate their parents, i.e. to give up the love of their friends and relations even the love of life, if such love oppose itself to the law of Christ. Hence Maldonatus thinks this to be of precept; Jansenius, of counsel. But see S. Matthew 10:37.

Suarez (lib. ii. De Concurs. Dom.) says, "to hate" signifies the same as "to love less," in which sense it is written, "Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated." Romans 9:13.