Our Father's Name

Dear Catholic Exchange:

I have a question about our Father's name. When we pray: "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name..." What name are we to think of?

Dorota


Dear Dorota,

In the “Our Father” prayer we are reminded of the sanctity of the name of God. This clause is discussed in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, in paragraphs 2807-2815.

To “hallow” means to recognize as holy or treat in a holy way. Therefore, when we pray this prayer, we are recalling the holiness of God’s name. Throughout salvation history, the significance of the name of God is clear. God does not reveal His name to Abraham and only begins to reveal it to Moses, describing Himself as “I am who am.” The Jewish people considered the name of God so holy that they did not pronounce it directly. The name of Father is not fully revealed until Jesus reveals it to us in the New Testament.

As individuals, our own name is an important part of our identity because it represents who we are. Similarly, when we say that someone has “made a name for themselves” we mean that they have created a reputation. When we pray the "Our Father" and recall the need to keep holy the name of God, we are not referring to a specific one of the many names God has been called, but to His name in the sense that it represents and refers to God as a divine person. In the Old Testament, we often see God performing some saving action among the Israelites for “the sake of His name.” Because one’s name represents the very person, the name of God must be kept holy.

United in the Faith,

Julia Zahra
Information Specialist
Catholics United for the Faith
827 North Fourth Street
Steubenville, OH 43952
800-MY-FAITH (800-693-2484)

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