January 25  Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul

Catholics love to celebrate!  One good example of this is how we celebrate the Apostle and Missionary, St. Paul. Besides haivng a year dedicated to him (Year of St. Paul:  June 29, 2008-June 28, 2009), no other saint is gets two annual celebrations, both on his entrance into heaven (Martyrdom of St. Peter and Paul on June 29) but also at his "conversion". 

But what does "conversion" really mean?  Merriam-Webster defines conversion as a "turning" towards something. I like this definition of "turning towards" because even if it implies a "turning away" the emphasis is on the lasting positive power of the new discovery.  What Saul of Tarsus turned towards was not an idea or a thing, but a Someone:  Jesus Christ.  This meeting with Jesus not only changed his name (Saul into Paul)  but transformed him into a new creation. 

I'd like to recommend the article, "A Man, A Horse and a Conversion" by Sr. Anne Flanagan, FSSP printed in the Catholic New World and found on their website:  http://www.catholicnewworld.com/cnwonline/2008/0831/3.aspx. This is a great article on the painting done by Caravaggio.  It would be worth reading before turning to the artlinks listed below.

Countless works of art are dedicated to portraying the Conversion of St. Paul.  Listed below are two by Caravaggio and one by Michelangelo:

Caravaggio:  "The Conversion of St. Paul" (1600) Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popolo, Romehttp://www.bc.edu/bc-org/avp/cas/his/CoreArt/art/bar-cvggo-conv.html

Caravaggio:  "The Conversion of St. Paul" (1601) Odesalchi Balbi Collection, Romehttp://www.artofeurope.com/caravaggio/car10.htm

Michelangelo:  "Conversion of Saul" (1542-45) Capella Paolina, Palazzi Pontifice, Vaticanhttp://www.wga.hu/frames-e.html?/html/michelan/2paintin/4paul1.html

Biblical Art on the WWW:  "On the Way to Damascus" lists many of the images of St. Paul on the web

http://www.biblical-art.com/biblicalsubject.asp?id_biblicalsubject=415&pagenumber=1