‘Hallowed by thy name’ and ‘Thy Kingdom come’ (CCC2813-2821)
Posted on December 13th 2009 in The catechism explained
There is a certain paradox in seeking to hallow God’s name since by definition God is holy. This ‘hallowing’ of God’s name rebounds on ourselves, so that we may preserve over time the grace given to us in Baptism. There is a strict connection between the holiness of God and His people. ‘You shall be holy to me, for I the Lord am holy’ (Lev 20:26). God’s name is therefore hallowed through our actions as Christians, both by ourselves and to others. This phrase of the Our Father also points to those who do not yet know God. This hallowing of God’s name in our lives has been both fulfilled and made possible by Jesus when He prays, ‘Holy Father, protect in your name those whom you have given me’. (Jn 17:11)
The New Testament word ‘basileia’ has a richness of meaning, and may be translated using three English words, kingship, kingdom, or reign. Each of these words emphasises a particular facet of the ‘basileia’ for what one prays in the Our Father. The Kingdom of God both lies ahead, and has been proclaimed since the Last Supper (I will not drink of this cup until I enter my kingdom), and is now present in the Eucharist. The Eucharist involves the coming and presence of Christ, so the Kingdom and Jesus Christ are intimately connected. To pray for the kingdom to come is effectively to pray for Jesus to come. Thus the cry, ‘Marantha, Come, Lord Jesus’ is intimately connected with the ‘Our Father’.
The final coming of Christ does not detract from the intermediate mission of the Church. The establishment of the kingdom is the continuous work of the Holy Spirit, and so the struggle between flesh and spirit characterises the age in which the believer lives. The growth of the kingdom may not be simply identified with human progress. They are distinct since human progress is not the vocation to eternal life and, without a spiritual framework, human progress in whatever field may easily be perverted to sinful ends. However, human progress, such as advances in sanitation, health care, educational provision, etc., should serve the promotion of justice and peace, thus respecting the true nature of humanity as befitting the children of God. Put more strongly, Man’s vocation to eternal life is not independent of but actually reinforces his duty to serve the needs of justice and peace in the secular world.