--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There was to be nothing special about it…" description: "\"“There was to be nothing special about it, nothing that savored of a religious Order, no special rule, no distinctive habit. She, and those who joined ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/thomas-merton-231_christian-life_there-was-to-be-nothing-special-about-it_388344.jpg" --- # There was to be nothing special about it, nothing that… ![“There was to be nothing special about it, nothing that savored of a religious Order, no special rule, no distinctive habit. She, and those who joined her, would simply be poor--there was no choice on that score, for they were that already--but they would embrace their poverty, and the life of the…” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/thomas-merton-231_christian-life_there-was-to-be-nothing-special-about-it_388344.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/thomas-merton-231_christian-life_there-was-to-be-nothing-special-about-it_388344.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0a5/thomas-merton-231_christian-life_there-was-to-be-nothing-special-about-it_388344.jpg) > ““There was to be nothing special about it, nothing that savored of a religious Order, no special rule, no distinctive habit. She, and those who joined her, would simply be poor--there was no choice on that score, for they were that already--but they would embrace their poverty, and the life of the proletariat in all its misery and insecurity and dead, drab monotony. They would live and work in the slums, lose themselves, in the huge anonymous mass of the forgotten and the derelict, for the only purpose of living the complete, integral Christian life in that environment--loving those around them, sacrificing themselves for those around them, and spreading the Gospel and the truth of Christ most of all by being saints, by living in union with Him, by being full of His Holy Ghost, His charity.”” [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. A community chooses deliberate poverty and solidarity with the marginalized to embody complete Christian discipleship, loving and serving others as a path to holiness. **In simple terms:** Living in poverty with the poor is a way to fully follow Christ. Key Takeaway Embrace solidarity with the marginalized. Themes faith service poverty solidarity Christianity Mood reflective hopeful Type theological inspirational When to use this quote - missionary work - urban ministry - social outreach - community living Key Concepts Incarnational spirituality social justice holy poverty Questions to Reflect On - How can one balance personal well‑being with radical solidarity? - What practical steps make this lifestyle viable today? A Different Perspective Such extreme poverty may be unsustainable or alienating for some members. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christian life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christian-life/) [Embrace Poverty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/embrace-poverty-3507827/) [Habits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/habits/) [Holy ghost](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/holy-ghost/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life Proletariat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-proletariat-433555/) [Poverty Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/poverty-life-1215904/) [Proletariat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proletariat/) [Proletariat Misery](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/proletariat-misery-3507826/) ## Related quotes > [“It is there, in the final moments, for people whose farthest horizon has always been tomorrow, that one comprehends the profound tragedy circumscribing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernesto-guevara/it-is-there-in-the-final-moments-for-people-whose-farthest-horizon/) [Ernesto Guevara](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernesto-guevara/) > [There is no poverty in life when you have a loving, peaceful, happy family. 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