The Lord's Prayer

When we say: “Hallowed be Thy name,” we admonish ourselves to desire that His name, which is always holy, may be also among men esteemed holy, that is to say, not despised; which is an advantage not to God, but to men.

41. The first petition is, HALLOWED BE THY NAME. The necessity of presenting it bespeaks our great disgrace. For what can be more unbecoming than that our ingratitude and malice should impair, our audacity and petulance should as much as in them lies destroy, the glory of God? But though all the ungodly should burst with sacrilegious rage, the holiness of God’s name still shines forth….

But if the name of God is duly hallowed only when separated from all other names it alone is glorified, we are in the petition enjoined to ask not only that God would vindicate his sacred name from all contempt and insult, but also that he would compel the whole human race to reverence it. Then since God manifests himself to us partly by his word, and partly by his works, he is not sanctified unless in regard to both of these we ascribe to him what is due, and thus embrace whatever has proceeded from him, giving no less praise to his justice than to his mercy. On the manifold diversity of his works he has inscribed the marks of his glory, and these ought to call forth from every tongue an ascription of praise. Thus Scripture will obtain its due authority with us, and no event will hinder us from celebrating the praises of God, in regard to every part of his government. On the other hand, the petition implies a wish that all impiety which pollutes this sacred name may perish and be extinguished, that every thing which obscures or impairs his glory, all detraction and insult, may cease; that all blasphemy being suppressed, the divine majesty may be more and more signally displayed. …

When a child of God prays it proper that he begins by asking for nothing before the glory of his Father and that he puts everything else after the work of praising him.

"Hallowed" means glorified. No wGod has glory completely and eternally but He commands us to pray that He may also be glorified by our life. As Jesus has said before, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 5:16) And, even the seraphim, give glory this way singing, "Holy, holy, holy." (Isa. 6:3). So here we ask God to "Grant that we may live so purely, that through us all may glorify You." That is, we ask for perfect self-control, and to be able to such a good life, that every one who sees us may praise the Lord for this.

36] This is, indeed, somewhat obscure, and not expressed in good German, for in our mother-tongue we would say: Heavenly Father, help that by all means Thy name may be holy. 37] But what is it to pray that His name may be holy? Is it not holy already? Answer: Yes, it is always holy in its nature, but in our use it is not holy. For God's name was given us when we became Christians and were baptized, so that we are called children of God and have the Sacraments, by which He so incorporates us in Himself that everything which is God's must serve for our use. 38] Here now the great need exists for which we ought to be most concerned, that this name have its proper honor, be esteemed holy and sublime as the greatest treasure and sanctuary that we have; and that as godly children we pray that the name of God, which is already holy in heaven, may also be and remain holy with us upon earth and in all the world. 39] But how does it become holy among us? Answer, as plainly as it can be said: When both our doctrine and life are godly and Christian.

The First Petition. Hallowed be Thy name. What does this mean?--Answer. God's name is indeed holy in itself; but we pray in this petition that it may become holy among us also. How is this done?--Answer. When the Word of God is taught in its truth and purity, and we as the children of God also lead holy lives in accordance with it. To this end help us, dear Father in heaven. But he that teaches and lives otherwise than God's Word teaches profanes the name of God among us. From this preserve us, Heavenly Father.

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"Hallowed be thy name." -- This is the first of the six petitions that make up the Lord's prayer. The name of God is God himself. His name is his nature. His name includes his existence and all his attributes or perfections; That he is eternal is signified by his great and incommunicable name: JEHOVAH. The Apostle John translates this name as: "the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end; He which is, and which was, and which is to come." -- By the "name" of God we also mean His fullness of being. Which is denoted by his other great name, I AM THAT I AM! -- These words also mean His omnipresence and His omnipotence. God is indeed the only Agent in the material world because all physical matter is incapable of moving or changing itself, but must ultimately be moved and changed by God. Moreover he is the spring of action in every creature, visible and invisible, which could neither act nor exist, without the continual influx and agency of his almighty power; -- These words also praise God's wisdom which is clearly seen from the created good order of the universe. -- We also here praise that he is a Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity. That God is a trinity is taught to us by the very first Hebrew words of Scripture: bara' 'elohim. This literally means "the Gods created," joining a plural noun with a singular verb. That God is a Trinity is also taught in every part of scripture by all his holy Prophets and Apostles; -- Finally these words mean that he is essentially pure and holy, and above all, he is loving, which is the very brightness of his glory.

In praying that God, or his name, may "be hallowed" or glorified, we pray that he may be known, by all that are capable of knowing him. We pray that he will be known and loved by all intelligent beings, and that that he may be duly honored, and feared, and loved, by all in heaven above and in the earth beneath.