--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The great thing, and the only thing, is…" description: "\"The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise GOD.\" — Thomas Merton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg" --- # The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and… ![“The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise GOD.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg) > “The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise GOD.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. It emphasizes that the highest purpose is to love and worship God above all else. **In simple terms:** Love and praise God above everything. Key Takeaway Make worship central in life. Themes faith devotion purpose Mood reverent inspirational Type spiritual motivational When to use this quote - daily prayer - community worship - personal reflection - ethical decisions Key Concepts theology spirituality theocentrism Questions to Reflect On - How does devotion shape daily actions? - Can love for God coexist with love for others? A Different Perspective Exclusivity may alienate non‑believers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [God](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/god/) [Great things](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/great-things/) [Praise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/praise/) ## Related quotes > [The thing about you I adore; May seem indelicate; I need to find you in the Shower, and chase the soap for half an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kyle-macdonald/the-thing-about-you-i-adore-may-seem-indelicate-i-need-to-find-you-in/) [Kyle MacDonald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kyle-macdonald/) > [One thing we all adore, something worth dying for, nothing but pain, stuck in this game, searchin for fortune and fame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/2pac/one-thing-we-all-adore-something-worth-dying-for-nothing-but-pain/) [2Pac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/2pac/) > [My own personal task is not simply that of poet and writer (still less commentator, pseudo-prophet); it is basically to praise God out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/my-own-personal-task-is-not-simply-that-of-poet-and-writer-still-less/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“You've to close down your umbrella when you are under a canopy. Drop your pride; give praise to God!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/you-ve-to-close-down-your-umbrella-when-you-are-under-a-canopy-drop/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [True leadership is serving God and not looking for the glory that might come from it. You don't do it for the glory or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vonette-bright/true-leadership-is-serving-god-and-not-looking-for-the-glory-that/) [Vonette Bright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vonette-bright/) > [“Praise God, praise God.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/praise-god-praise-god/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I praise God. Difficult moment, I seek God. Painful moment, I trust God. Every moment, I THANK GOD.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-praise-god-difficult-moment-i-seek-god-painful-moment-i-trust-god/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Praise be to God for His great pardon of sins.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/praise-be-to-god-for-his-great-pardon-of-sins/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“My Existence is To Praise God and Help Others!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marie-claudine-mukamabano/my-existence-is-to-praise-god-and-help-others/) Marie Claudine MUKAMABANO > [What else can I do, a lame old man, but sing hymns to God? If I were a nightingale, I would do the nightingale's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epictetus/what-else-can-i-do-a-lame-old-man-but-sing-hymns-to-god-if-i-were-a/) [Epictetus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epictetus/) > [Significantly, God in Genesis 1 pronounces the rest of creation "good" before humanity is created. The psalmist and the prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rodney-clapp/significantly-god-in-genesis-1-pronounces-the-rest-of-creation-good/) Rodney Clapp > [Daily simple, sincere, and mighty prayers lift our lives to a higher spiritual altitude. In our prayers we praise God, give thanks to Him,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dieter-f-uchtdorf/daily-simple-sincere-and-mighty-prayers-lift-our-lives-to-a-higher/) [Dieter F. Uchtdorf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dieter-f-uchtdorf/) > [I didn't fit into the Christian college my parents sent me to. I felt tarnished by tragedy, between my brother's death and Escuela Caribe,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-scheeres/i-didn-t-fit-into-the-christian-college-my-parents-sent-me-to-i-felt/) [Julia Scheeres](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-scheeres/) > [“Praise God for good nurses.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/praise-god-for-good-nurses/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [Believe to the end, even if all men went astray and you were left the only one faithful; bring your offering even then and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fyodor-dostoevsky/believe-to-the-end-even-if-all-men-went-astray-and-you-were-left-the/) [Fyodor Dostoevsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fyodor-dostoevsky/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. On the contrary, the deep, inexpressible certitude…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/let-no-one-hope-to-find-in-contemplation-an-escape-from-conflict-from/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [If nothing that can be seen can either be God or represent Him to us as He is, then to find God we must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-nothing-that-can-be-seen-can-either-be-god-or-represent-him-to-us/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [It is almost impossible to overestimate the value of true humility and its power in the spiritual life. For the beginning of humility is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/it-is-almost-impossible-to-overestimate-the-value-of-true-humility/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [We are not perfectly free until we live in pure hope. For when our hope is pure, it no longer trusts exclusively in human…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/we-are-not-perfectly-free-until-we-live-in-pure-hope-for-when-our/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The desire to kill is like the desire to attack another with an ingot of red -hot iron: I have to pick up the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-desire-to-kill-is-like-the-desire-to-attack-another-with-an-ingot/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [To enter into the realm of contemplation one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance to a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/to-enter-into-the-realm-of-contemplation-one-must-in-a-certain-sense/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [The mission of Christian humility in social life is not merely to edify, but to keep minds open to many alternatives. The rigidity of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-mission-of-christian-humility-in-social-life-is-not-merely-to/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Peace cannot be built on exclusivism, absolutism, and intolerance. 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If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [“Contemplation means rest, suspension of activity, withdrawal into the mysterious interior solitude in which the soul is absorbed in the immense and fruitful silence…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/contemplation-means-rest-suspension-of-activity-withdrawal-into-the/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) [Explore all 851 Thomas Merton quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## More Adore quotes > [I adore extravagance but I abhor waste.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaron-copland/i-adore-extravagance-but-i-abhor-waste/) [Aaron Copland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaron-copland/) > [“I am happier when I love than when I am loved. 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But the question is, how do we live as women…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-lamott/we-are-going-to-die-as-is-everyone-we-adore-i-hate-this-but-the/) [Anne Lamott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-lamott/) > [She's all I want and more I mean damn. What's not to adore?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nevershoutnever/she-s-all-i-want-and-more-i-mean-damn-what-s-not-to-adore/) Nevershoutnever > [She dotes on poetry, sir. She adores it; I may say that her whole soul and mind are wound up, and entwined with it.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/she-dotes-on-poetry-sir-she-adores-it-i-may-say-that-her-whole-soul/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I adore Chicago. It is the pulse of America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-bernhardt/i-adore-chicago-it-is-the-pulse-of-america/) [Sarah Bernhardt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-bernhardt/) > [It isn't called TV money for nothing. There was a time where I paid my rent by doing theater for years, and I was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-parsons/it-isn-t-called-tv-money-for-nothing-there-was-a-time-where-i-paid-my/) [Jim Parsons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-parsons/) > [I'm sorry I can't give you the normal life you wanted, but I promise to adore you every day for the rest of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeaniene-frost/i-m-sorry-i-can-t-give-you-the-normal-life-you-wanted-but-i-promise/) [Jeaniene Frost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeaniene-frost/) > [You could at least complain,” I say. “I adore complaining. It calms the nerves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franny-billingsley/you-could-at-least-complain-i-say-i-adore-complaining-it-calms-the/) [Franny Billingsley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franny-billingsley/) > [I'm massively inspired by Janet Jackson, and I adore Whitney Houston and Madonna.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shura/i-m-massively-inspired-by-janet-jackson-and-i-adore-whitney-houston/) Shura > [Emily and I have some funny scenes where we quarrel and it gets quite heated, the mother-daughter relationship. You know, film mothers and daughters…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacki-weaver/emily-and-i-have-some-funny-scenes-where-we-quarrel-and-it-gets-quite/) [Jacki Weaver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacki-weaver/) > [I love what I do and I adore this whole world. I'm able to meet fantastic people. I meet fantastic writers, I meet architects,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicolas-ghesquiere/i-love-what-i-do-and-i-adore-this-whole-world-i-m-able-to-meet/) [Nicolas Ghesquiere](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicolas-ghesquiere/) Browse all 749 Adore quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise GOD.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Thomas Merton" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to-adore-and-praise-god/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Adore" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to-adore-and-praise-god/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/67b/thomas-merton-231_adore_the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to_2084024.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“The great thing, and the only thing, is to adore and praise GOD.” — Thomas Merton", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Thomas Merton", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "The great thing, and the only...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to-adore-and-praise-god/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-great-thing-and-the-only-thing-is-to-adore-and-praise-god/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```