The First Three Petitions of the Our Father: Living for God’s Glory

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

The Our Father Prayer, taught by Our Lord Jesus Himself, is the most perfect prayer for us Christians. It is found in
the Gospel of Matthew 6:9–13 where Our Lord Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray. The prayer contains seven
petitions. The first three focus not on our personal needs but on God—His name, His kingdom, and His will. These
petitions remind us that the purpose of our lives is to glorify God and to participate in His plan of salvation. So, in this
article I would focus on the first three petitions.

“Hallowed Be Thy Name” The first petition asks that God’s name be honored, adored, glorified, revered, and made
holy through everything we do in our lives-through every single breath, heartbeat, and every single action in our life.
God is already infinitely holy, so this prayer is not asking God to become holier. Rather, we ask that His holiness and
all His Divine attributes be recognized through our words, and actions, so that His name be glorified through everything
we do. In this giving God’s glory becomes the main objective behind every action we do during the day.

In the Gospel, Our Lord Jesus teaches His disciples to glorify the Father in everything. He says, “Let your light shine
before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). God’s
name is sanctified through our actions when we become constantly aware of the presence of God in everything we do.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains that to “hallow” God’s name means to recognize His holiness and
cooperate with His grace so that His name is honored throughout the world. Through Baptism, we are called to praise,
adore and glorify God in everything we do. (CCC-2807-2815)

“Thy Kingdom Come” The second petition expresses our longing for the coming of God’s Kingdom. Our Lord Jesus
proclaimed throughout His public ministry that “the Kingdom of God is at hand” (Mark 1:15). His miracles, teachings,
life, death, and Resurrection reveal that God’s kingdom had already begun reigning in Him, “through His human will,
the Will of the Father has been perfectly fulfilled once and for all.” (CCC- 2824). Praying for God’s Kingdom means
asking that God’s Will make also reign in our hearts, as it did in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Thy Will Be Done on Earth as It Is in Heaven” The third petition asks that God’s Will be accomplished in our lives
and throughout creation. Our Lord Jesus gave the perfect example of obedience to the Father, especially in the Garden
of Gethsemane when He prayed, “Not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)

“In the third petition, we ask our Father to unite our will to that of his Son, so as to fulfill his plan of salvation in the
life of the world.” (CCC-2860)

My brothers and sisters, the first three petitions of the Our Father direct our attention toward God before our own
needs. They teach us to honor His Holy Name, seek His Kingdom, and embrace His Will with trust and love. These
petitions summarize the mission of every Christian: to praise, adore and glorify God, to embrace His Kingdom, and to
unite our human will through every thought and action we do, by having that constant awareness of the presence of
God in us.

These first petitions of the Our Father remind us that our lives ought to always be centered on God before ourselves.
By honoring His Name, seeking His Kingdom, and following His Will, we grow closer to Our Lord and fulfill the
purpose for which we were created, that is “to serve and love God and to offer all creation back to Him.” (CCC-358)
May these petitions inspire us to live each day seeking God’s glory and trusting in His divine plan for each one of us.
With Blessings,

+Fr. Gabriel Barrera.