When we pray that God's Name may be hallowed, the first thing we must seek to discover is whether we hallow it ourselves. To begin with, do we say our morning and evening prayers regularly and carefully? If we omit these, we neglect and treat as of no account the authority of God. And throughout the day, is our work done for God or for ourselves? In our works do we seek our own honor or pleasure, or the honor and glory of God? We do not hallow God's Holy Name if the thought of Him finds no place in our hearts from morn till night.

Still less can we be said to honor God's name if we allow ourselves to be guilty of any positive disrespects to Him. We do not hallow God's Holy Name if we permit our eyes to wander during Holy Mass, or if we deliberately think of things other than God while we pretend to be praying to Him. We do not hallow His Name if we are careless in our preparation for Holy Communion, or if we hurry over our thanksgiving afterwards. Alas! how often have I failed here!

There are also certain sins which are a special dishonour to God's Holy Name. Any sort of unnecessary oaths, any profane use of the Holy Name of God is a violation of the precept to hallow God's Name. So, too, is any disrespectful talk about holy persons or things, any disloyalty to what the Church has enjoined, any sort of profane conversation, any criticism of the commands of our lawful superiors. Is my conscience clear on these points?