God is thrice Holy, as was revealed in Saint John the Apostle’s vision: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8). In Biblical terms, the triple cry of “Holy, Holy, Holy” signifies the perfection and fullness of God’s holiness. We echo this eternal truth in the Lord’s Prayer when we pray “Hallowed be Thy Name,” which means “May Your name be glorified and made holy in me and throughout all creation.” With this petition, we acknowledge that God’s holiness is absolute, unchanging, and worthy of our highest reverence. Just as the Seraphim never cease to glorify Him, so we are invited to offer a constant hymn of praise, sanctifying His name in all that we think, desire, and do.
God first revealed His holiness to Moses when He said:
“Be holy, for I, the LORD your God, am holy” (Leviticus 19:2).
This holiness was later revealed to Isaiah the Prophet:
“I saw the Lord seated on a high and lofty throne, with the train of his garment filling the temple. Seraphim were stationed above; each of them had six wings: with two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they hovered. One cried out to the other:
‘Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!’” (Isaiah 6:1–3).
This Eternal Truth—that God is Holy, Holy, Holy—is the foundation of all prayer because it perfectly expresses the highest truth about God. Recognizing this Truth draws us into worship with the Seraphim, joining in their unending song of praise. Just as the Seraphim never cease to glorify God, so too, through the new life given to us in Baptism, we are set apart to live lives that hallow His name continuously.
Loving God for His Own Sake
In this chapter, we consider the first petition: “Hallowed be Thy name.” This petition reveals and forms within us our highest desire because it will help order and direct our entire being toward the glorious purpose of our lives: God’s glory and our eternal participation in His glory.
The Greek verb used in this petition—hagiasthētō—is in the aorist passive imperative form. It is a solemn, decisive plea: “Let Your name be made holy!!!” This verb expresses urgency and calls for the sanctification of God’s name as a complete and total act—not a gradual or partial one. As mentioned in the Introduction, the idea of three exclamation points serves as a figurative way of expressing the plea’s intensity: It is made urgently, decisively, and completely. In praying this petition, we ask that all people become instruments by which God’s name is glorified.
Baptism as the Foundation
The first way we become holy is through Baptism in which Original Sin is wiped away and we become children of the Father. On this point, the Catechism of the Catholic Church quotes Saint Cyprian:
“By whom is God hallowed, since he is the one who hallows? But since he said, ‘You shall be holy to me; for I the LORD am holy,’ we seek and ask that we who were sanctified in Baptism may persevere in what we have begun to be and we ask this daily, for we need sanctification daily, so that we who fail daily may cleanse away our sins by being sanctified continually…. We pray that this sanctification may remain in us” (CCC #2813).
Through Baptism, we not only become sanctified and freed from the bonds of sin, we also become hidden in Christ so that His prayer becomes our prayer to the Father. Baptism is the gateway to the life of grace and, therefore, the gateway to the life of prayer offered through, with, and in Christ the Son to the Father. This conformity to Christ, given to us in Baptism, cannot be lost. Though the grace of Baptism can be lost through mortal sin, we remain forever marked as God’s children, even if we become wayward children. It is our baptismal duty to forever strive to become conformed to the image of the Son in our actions, in response to the adopted status we have received. Every time we pray “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we renew our baptismal commitment to live as children of God in holiness who give Him glory through, with, and in the Son.
Through Baptism, we do not simply receive an individual sanctification; we are incorporated into the very life of Christ and His eternal dialogue with the Father. Thus, our prayer is not our own—it is the prayer of the Mystical Body, united to Christ, the Head and High Priest.
Praying in Christ to the Father
Though Jesus is God, He Himself proclaimed the Father’s holiness and taught us to do so. The first petition of the Lord’s Prayer unites us with the burning desire of Christ Himself, whose entire life and sacrifice were directed toward the Father’s glory.
Shortly before Jesus’ Passion, He prayed: “Father, glorify Your name.” (John 12:28). This prayer echoed throughout His life, giving us a model for our prayer.
In the Garden, just prior to His arrest, Jesus glorified the Father and asked the Father to glorify Him. This prayer is contained in Chapter 17 of John’s Gospel and is known as Jesus’ High Priestly Prayer. It perfectly depicts all we need to know about the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus prayed:
“Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your Son, so that your Son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that he may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work that you gave me to do. Now glorify me, Father, with you, with the glory that I had with you before the world began.” (John 17:1–5).
When we pray “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we enter into Christ’s own longing to see the Father glorified in all things and to share in that glory with the Son. We are not merely acknowledging God’s holiness but committing ourselves to live in a way that reflects and proclaims it, in union with Jesus. This is why our Lord teaches us to begin prayer with this petition—because our highest desire must be the glorification of God.
“This petition embodies all the others. Like the six petitions that follow, it is fulfilled by the prayer of Christ. Prayer to our Father is our prayer, if it is prayed in the name of Jesus. In his priestly prayer, Jesus asks: ‘Holy Father, protect in your name those whom you have given me’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church #2815).
May “Our” Father be Hallowed
When we pray in union with Jesus, we do not pray in isolation as one person seeking his or her own needs. Our prayer in Christ unites us with Him and with all who are members of the Body of Christ.
The Lord’s Prayer is not just my personal prayer, it is our prayer to the Father: Father of ours, the One in the Heavens, may Your name be glorified and made holy in me and throughout all creation. If we pray this petition rightly, then we pray it with the charity that pleads for all people to know, love, and adore God’s sanctity. We cannot separate the communal dimension from this petition; otherwise, it is not prayed in Christ. Jesus beautifully prayed for this communal aspect as He continued His High Priestly Prayer:
“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. Now they know that everything you gave me is from you, because the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they accepted them and truly understood that I came from you, and they have believed that you sent me. I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them” (John 17:6–10).
We are among those whom Jesus prayed for in the Garden. When we unite ourselves with His prayer, we also pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ, just as Jesus did. However, our prayer doesn’t stop there. As Jesus’ prayer continued, He prayed for those who will come to faith through us, through our witness. Hence, praying to our Father, that His Name be hallowed, means we pray for all those who will come to faith in the future, making this a prayer of hopeful anticipation:
“I pray not only for them, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me” (John 17:20–21).
God’s Name
Why do we pray that God’s “name” be hallowed? In biblical tradition, a name reveals a person’s essence, character, and mission. In the Old Testament, God appeared to Abram and said: “I am God the Almighty. Walk in my presence and be blameless. Between you and me I will establish my covenant, and I will multiply you exceedingly” (Genesis 17:1–2). God then changed Abram’s name to Abraham: “No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I am making you the father of a multitude of nations” (Genesis 17:5).
In Hebrew, “Abram” means “exalted father,” while “Abraham” means “father of a multitude.” This name change is not merely a new label but a divine transformation in identity and mission. Similarly, in the New Testament, Jesus renames Simon as Peter, meaning “rock,” signifying his foundational role in the Church. In both cases, a name signifies a calling, a vocation given by God, and an identity.
God’s name in Scripture is more than a designation or title; it is a revelation of His very being. When He declares to Moses, “I AM WHO AM” (YHWH), He reveals His Eternal, Self-existent, and Unchanging nature. Thus, in the Lord’s Prayer, when we pray that God’s Name be hallowed, we acknowledge His Divine Essence, which is infinitely Holy and Unchanging.
Honoring and sanctifying God’s name primarily means loving God for His own sake. While gratitude for His goodness toward us is important, true love reaches beyond His gifts to love Him in Himself. Saint Thomas Aquinas teaches that the highest act of love is to seek God’s glory above all else; this is the essence of the first petition. Desiring and willing God’s glory brings order to our lives. Before we ask for anything else, we long for His holiness to be known, honored, and adored. We are not praying that God become more holy—He already is infinitely holy. Rather, we are praying that we and all creation might rightly recognize, adore, and proclaim His holiness.
This petition goes beyond revering God’s name in word; it calls us to sanctify it in our lives, allowing His holiness to transform our hearts and actions. When we hallow His name, we allow His holiness to sanctify us, making us more like Him so we can recognize, proclaim, and reflect God’s holiness in all we do. No endeavor in life could be greater!
A Sure Foundation
Just as a building collapses without a firm foundation, so too does our spiritual life collapse if it does not rest on the desire for God’s glory above all else.
Imagine you were an architect designing a massive skyscraper. A wise architect would never say, “No one sees the foundation, so I don’t think it’s that important.” Proceeding that way would have devastating consequences down the road.
If our spiritual life is not built upon the desire to glorify God’s holiness above all else, then every other aspect of faith risks becoming misaligned. We risk treating God merely as a provider of gifts rather than as the Supreme Good Himself.
The foundation of our prayer and lives goes beyond the glory of His Name; we are called to make God’s entire Personhood the central object of our love and adoration—for God’s glory, solely for God’s sake, because God is worthy of all glory and love. As the Catechism teaches, this petition “carries us toward Him, for His own sake” (CCC 2804), immersing us in “the innermost mystery of His Godhead” (CCC 2807).
Saint Ignatius of Loyola, in his spiritual masterpiece, Spiritual Exercises, teaches this same truth in what he calls the “Principle and Foundation.” He begins by saying: “Man is created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord, and by this means to save his soul…” Just as a rock foundation stabilizes a building, so the foundation that “saves our souls” is “to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord.” When our highest desire is for this end, our whole life is on firm footing.
This foundational desire is also an act of honesty with ourselves before God. God already knows His Greatness, Holiness, and Perfection. Our profession of this Eternal Truth is not for His benefit, but for ours.
This first petition orders everything else. It is the goal and purpose of the rest of the prayer. As we will see in subsequent chapters, every other request in the Lord’s Prayer—Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, Give us this day our daily bread, etc.—ultimately serves the fulfillment of this first desire. For that reason, we will continuously refer back to this petition as we move forward. For example:
- If God’s Name is truly hallowed in our lives, then His Kingdom does reign in us.
- If His Name is truly hallowed, then His will is done in us and through us.
- If His Name is truly hallowed, then all our needs—both spiritual and material—are received with proper detachment and gratitude.
Gift of the Holy Spirit: Fear of the Lord
Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas associate “Hallowed be Thy Name” with the Gift of the Holy Spirit known as Fear of the Lord. This gift forms the foundation of the spiritual life and instills in the soul a deep reverence, awe, and love before God’s infinite holiness.
The Gift of Fear of the Lord moves the soul to:
- Seek God’s glory above all else.
- Avoid sin—not merely out of fear of punishment, but out of love for God.
- Revere His holiness with humble awe.
- Glorify His name in word, deed, and desire.
The Fear of the Lord operates on two levels:
Servile Fear (the beginning stage):
- Fears God’s punishment for sin.
- Awakens the conscience to God’s justice.
- Mirrors how a child obeys a parent out of fear of consequences.
- Can lead to repentance, but remains imperfect in its self-centeredness.
Filial Fear (the perfection of this gift):
- Reveres God with a mature love that dreads sin because it offends the Father.
- Avoids sin not because of consequences, but because of love for God’s infinite holiness.
- Flows from love and becomes the foundation of Wisdom.
- Leads us to the truth of Proverbs 9:10: “The beginning of wisdom is fear of the LORD, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”
When we pray, “Hallowed be Thy Name,” we are asking:
- That God’s holiness be rightly recognized, glorified, and honored.
- That our hearts be inflamed with charity, longing to see Him glorified in all things.
- That we grow in holy fear—rejoicing when His name is honored and grieving when it is profaned.
- That we be filled with zeal to defend His honor and joy when others glorify Him.
This first petition calls us to:
- Recognize, adore, and reflect God’s holiness.
- Live in the dignity of our baptismal call.
- Cultivate holy fear so that our lives may magnify His name.
Beatitude: “Blessed are the Poor in Spirit”
Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas both associate the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer with the first Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). This connection reveals that the proper recognition and glorification of God’s holiness begins with spiritual poverty—a self-emptying that disposes the soul to receive grace and allows God’s reign to be established within us.
In Matthew’s Gospel, being “poor in spirit” signifies a humble detachment from self-reliance in order to depend entirely on God. It is the recognition that we possess nothing of ourselves but receive everything from Him. This poverty of spirit fosters unwavering trust in God, Who alone is worthy of all trust and honor.
This prayer expresses our desire to live in true spiritual poverty, renouncing pride and self-sufficiency so that God’s holiness may be magnified in us. Those who embrace this poverty of spirit inherit the Kingdom of Heaven because in them God’s name is rightly glorified, His holiness reigns, and His Kingdom is firmly established in their hearts. Thus, the “poor in spirit” are those who most perfectly hallow God’s name by emptying themselves entirely so that His holiness may reign within them. Once this foundational desire is rightly ordered, we can move to the next great longing: “Thy Kingdom Come.”
Aligning Our Desires
In what will perhaps be the most important exercise we do, let us prayerfully reflect on how to align our minds, wills, and desires with the first petition of the Lord’s Prayer.
We begin with the mind. By learning the depth of the meaning of Hallowed be Thy Name, we are given the opportunity to examine our consciences in the light of Eternal Truth. From there, we are invited to choose it with all the power of our wills. Doing so, over and over again, forms a habit, which becomes a virtue, and that virtue transforms our desires into the highest Good we can seek: God’s glory.
Believing in God’s Holiness
We begin by pondering the Celestial Hierarchy of Heaven, who cry out to God continuously:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
Is this your prayer? Do you recognize God’s perfect holiness? Every divine attribute and action we have pondered draws us into worship—not because of what God can do for us, but because God is God, infinitely worthy of praise and adoration.
In Heaven, our eternal delight will be to gaze upon the Beatific Vision and forever proclaim God’s holiness. In this world, however, we easily become consumed with many other concerns, hopes, and ambitions. Set them aside for a moment and ask yourself:
- Do I believe that God is Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lord God Almighty, Who Was, Who Is, and Who Is to Come?
- Do I desire to worship Him above all else?
- Do I entertain competing desires that vie for this highest and first desire?
- Am I willing to change and make God’s glory the highest and foundational exclamation of my life?
Though the fullness of this mystery is beyond our comprehension on this side of Heaven, we can deepen our understanding by contemplating this truth and believing it with all our might.
Giving God Glory
Believing with all our might is an act of the will—a deliberate choice. Once our minds understand God’s holiness, we must choose to act. We do not simply agree with the idea that God is thrice Holy; we must believe it, proclaim it, and live it with all our mind, heart, soul, and strength:
“You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37)
We love God when we probe the mystery of Who He Is, believe in Him with unwavering faith, and proclaim His holiness—not only in prayer but in every thought, word, and action.
Transformed by God’s Glory
Now consider your desires—some good, some disordered. If we choose to love God with all the power of our beings, then that act of the will, resolved over and over again, will bring harmony and order to our desires. Slowly, we will find that God’s holiness is in our minds and in our hearts, throughout our daily lives.
By doing so, we allow every good desire to become supportive of and subordinate to that desire and prayer. The transformation we experience is well articulated by Saint Paul:
“Rejoice always. Pray without ceasing. In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)
Such a life of continual rejoicing and prayer is only possible when the holiness of God has so penetrated our minds and wills that we become passionate about Him, loving Him with unshakable and fervent devotion.
Pray for this desire. Allow it to consume you, overshadowing everything else in your life. Within this act of worship, by which we proclaim God’s glory and holiness with the whole Mystical Body of Christ, is where we find purpose and direction. We become blessed, poor in spirit, and are rewarded with an inheritance of the riches of God’s love and grace.
Let us Pray:
Father of ours, the One in the Heavens, may Your name be glorified and made holy in me and throughout all creation. With the Seraphim, and the entire hosts of Heaven, I cry out to You:
“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come” (Revelation 4:8).
“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing…To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever” (Revelation 5:12–13).
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb…Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 7:10, 12).
“Great and wonderful are your works, Lord God almighty. Just and true are your ways, O king of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, or glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed” (Revelation 15:3–4).
Most Holy Father, may this become my constant prayer. May You be glorified in my life and in the lives of all Your children, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Together, may we become a chorus of praise and adoration, perceiving Your holiness, reflecting Your holiness, and desiring that Your holiness become known and loved by all.
Please purify my heart and make me poor in spirit. May I turn from every sinful attachment that lures me, overcome every attempt at self-reliance, and become totally dependent on You.
Please fill me with the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Fear of the Lord. As I seek the manifestation and glorification of Your holiness above all else, may I run from every sin and all that offends Your Infinite Majesty out of love for You Who are worthy of all my love.
“Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts! All the earth is filled with his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3).
All glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Father of ours, the One in the Heavens, may Your name be glorified and made holy in me and throughout all creation. Amen!
Chapter Four: Thy Kingdom Come”
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