Luke 11:2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.

As Augustine says, when we say, “Hallowed be Thy name, we do not mean that God’s name is not holy, but we ask that men may treat it as a holy thing,” and this pertains to the diffusion of God’s glory among men (Summa Theologiae, St Thomas Aquinas)

In our modern world where we treat everything so lightly, casually, we fail to recognize the greatness of God, holiness of God and His name. Sometimes unknowingly and at times habitually we can fall into this.

We see this happening all around us, the media and the surroundings. Sin against the name of Jesus, the lack of reverence towards the holy name of God is a sin against the second commandment.  Whether done out of ignorance, or out of habit – we are breaking the Lord’s commandment.

Deuteronomy 5:11 You shall not invoke the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. For the Lord will not leave unpunished anyone who invokes his name in vain.

Sirach 23: 9 – 10 Do not accustom your mouth to oaths, or habitually utter the Holy Name. Just as a servant constantly under scrutiny will not be without bruises, so one who swears continually by the Holy Name will never remain free from sin.

God who is forgiving, loving and merciful, always waits for His people to learn and recognize their faults, repent, change and return back to Him. As a good shepherd who goes after the one lost sheep, God in His great love comes to find us and teaches us His ways. God gives His people many chances to turn over a new leaf, waits for them in His great love and mercy and fills their paths with many opportunities to return back to His Heart.

When we recognize our mistakes and failures and when we truly repent – God lifts us up and leads us in His paths.

Prayer: Lord Jesus I repent of my faults, for not treating Your name with due respect and for my failure to recognize Your infinite greatness and Your Holiness. I am also sorry for those who are lost and do not know what they are doing. In Your great mercy teach us Your way and help us follow Your commandments in love and bring us back to Your heart. Lord Jesus, have mercy on me a sinner. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Let’s pray that the holy name of Jesus be held in due respect, adored, loved, honored and glorified always and everywhere. Pray for an increase in reverence and honor for the name of Jesus.

Keep praying – “Hallowed be Your name.” – by doing so as St Thomas Aquinas mentioned we pray that all men treat and respect the name of God as holy.

Admirable is the most holy name of God

(Prayer of reparation for blasphemy, from Revelations of Sr. Mary of St. Peter).

“Are you troubled? Think but of Jesus – speak but the name of Jesus, the clouds disperse and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen into sin? So that you fear death? … Invoke the name of Jesus and you will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness, no coldness of heart can resist this holy name – there is no heart which will not soften and open in tears at this holy name.” 

– St. Bernard of Clairvaux