#conversion of st paul

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Nicolas Bernard Lépicié (French, 1735-1784) Conversion of St. Paul, 1767 - And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest, And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven: And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man. And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. (Acts 9:1-9)- The Bible

[ukdamo]

Today’s Flickr photo with the most hits: the Conversion of St Paul, by Bril. 

The painting lives in the Pinacoteca Ambrosiana, Milan. 

[wwyptt]

A finished painting? An end-of-year miracle! Make me a believer, Koraidon Konversion on the Road to Mesagoza Watercolor, 2022

[illustratus]

The Conversion of St Paul by Parmigianino

[portraitsofsaints]

The Conversion of Paul

Saint Paul the Apostle  5 -  67 Feast Days: January 25 

June 29 (Feasts of Saints Peter and Paul)

Patronage: Missions; Theologians; Gentile Christians

St. Paul has said of Heaven “Eye has not seen nor ear heard…what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). {website}

[thefrankshow]

The Conversion of Saint Paul

[lawrenceop]

HOMILY for Conversion of St Paul

Acts 9:1-22, Psalm 116:1-2, Mark 16:15-18

My parents named me Paul. So, for many years, today was a special feast day for me because this was St Paul’s day - not shared with St Peter, but just St Paul. And as I had also been a convert to Catholicism, so this feast of the Conversion of St Paul has always resonated with me, and it was a festive, joyful day. But ten years ago, in 2013, that changed. Ten years ago I was woken from sleep by my mobile phone ringing repeatedly; it was my mother. And with her voice breaking with emotion she told me that her mother, my grandmother who lived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, had unexpectedly died in her sleep. My uncle had found lying peacefully in her bed on the morning of the 25th of January, and they couldn’t wake her up. She was aged 81 and had not been suffering any particular illness; she had just passed away in her sleep. So, since 2013, today’s feast has become bitter-sweet, a poignant day full of memories. 

My earliest memories of my grandmother are of the view of her sitting at the desk in her room; as a child I slept in a bed facing her bed in her room. I would open my eyes early in the morning, and see her seated at her desk as the sun rose, and she would be reading the Bible or deep in prayer. My grandmother took me to church and thus she taught me to pray, much as Lois in the Bible taught her grandson Timothy to pray - St Paul mentions this in his 2nd letter to Timothy. And so, as I think of St Paul who was brought to faith in Christ in such a miraculous way, on this day I also remember the more ordinary ways in which we come to faith in Christ: we are led by the good example and teaching of others, especially family members who love us, and teach us, and discipline us. Indeed, as we mark the Day of Prayer for Christian Unity today, it is fitting that I remember and give thanks for my grandmother’s example of Christian life: though she was not a Catholic she was baptised into Christ as we all are, and she imparted that faith in Jesus as our Lord and Saviour to me. 

For in the first decade of my life, I had been brought up by my grandmother. Hence, I learnt to love music from the 1950s, learnt the table manners and decorum of an older generation, and I also learnt to love God and Jesus and the Gospel. Many of us think of St Paul’s ‘Damascus moment’ as an explosion of converting grace that happened once-and-for-all. However, such experiences of grace are extraordinary. After all, St Paul’s mission to the Gentiles was extraordinary. But for the rest of us Christians, we have the grace of a series of Damascus moments, or rather, the grace of St Paul’s singular moment of conversion is being drawn out over our entire lifetime. And this is what we want, what we need, and what we can pray for: that God’s grace will be granted us over a lifetime, daily deepening our love for Christ until death. And we pray that death will not be so sudden and unexpected as to leave us unprepared. Many Catholics rightly worry about an unprepared death, and we should be careful not to die without the strength and consolation of the Sacraments.

But I subsequently learnt from my grandmother’s younger sister, a devout Christian woman herself, that she and my grandmother would pray every night for the last decade of her life for a peaceful death; my grandmother prayed to just fall asleep in Christ. For a non-Catholic Christian who do not understand nor know the necessity of the Sacraments, to pray to fall asleep in Christ peacefully, means to pray for the grace of final perseverance in Faith. Hence I believe that my grandmother was thus prepared to meet her Lord and Saviour; and I trust that she was granted the grace of the kind of peaceful death that she had prayed for. 

The end of a life that was marked by daily prayer and surrender to Christ rightly ends with Christ, with a coming to rest in his peace. Over the years, I saw my grandmother change and grow and develop in her love for God, and her love for others – her temper mellowed, she became deeply forgiving even though she had suffered greatly at the hands of others, and she had a deep humility and simplicity. This, too, is the path of conversion. Indeed, this is the ordinary, by which I mean, the normal and proper way, by which we Christians are daily and gradually converted to Christ. There is no short cut, no sudden change, no once-and-for-all Damascus moment but often a process, a deepening and intensification of our relationship with Jesus Christ, so that gradually we grow into a deeper friendship with him, a more intense love for God. Therefore, each day, let these words of St Paul inspire us: “He [Christ] said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” [So] I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Cor 12:9-10)

What faith St Paul had! His encounter with Christ on the Damascus road shaped the rest of his life, empowered him through his graced friendship with the Risen Lord, to endure all things for love of God, knowing that Christ was with him, abiding in him through grace. This same faith I realised lived in my grandmother, and she imparted that to me, by God’s grace and providence. And as a priest and Friar Preacher my hope is to hand this Faith on those I meet and catechise and teach. I hope it is your goal too. For Christ has ultimately called on us, the Baptised, to “go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation.” My grandmother was no street evangelist, though, but in her own quiet way, seated at her desk in prayer, or helping her neighbours and bringing them gifts, she was, quite definitely, proclaiming the Gospel. For her life had quite evidently been touched by the grace of the Risen Lord, and so people knew her to be a believer. And as Christ says in the Gospel: “He who believes and is baptised will be saved”.   

[beautiful-belgium]

Schelte Adamsz. Bolswert after Peter Paul Rubens - The Conversion of Paul

[garyartista]

Who Killed Caravaggio?

Leonardo is called da Vinci because he was born in a small town near Florence of that name. Michele Angelo da Caravaggio (1571-1610) is called Caravaggio because he was born in a small town of that name, located just outside Milan. He became a major figure in art and, as art was so fundamental to the times, he is a major figure in history. His dramatic use of light and his controversial…

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (Spanish, 1617-1682) The Conversion of Saint Paul, c.1675-82

Saint Paul fell from his horse as he heard Christ’s words “Why persecutest thou me?” which brought about his conversion. Saul, a student of the great Pharisee rabbi Gamaliel, had persecuted Christians, but was suddenly converted on the road to Damascus when our Lord appeared to him in His resurrected glory (Acts 9:1-9). From this point, he took the name Paul, and would become the “Apostle to the Gentiles.”

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The great apostle was a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin. 

He surpassed all his peers in zeal for the Jewish law and their traditions, which he thought to be the cause of God.

He became one of the most fierce enemies and persecutors of Christians. He was one of the conspirators in the martyrdom of St. Stephan.

After the martyrdom of the holy deacon, the priests and magistrates of the Jews raised a violent persecution against the church at Jerusalem in which Saul placed himself above the others.

In the fury of his zeal, he appealed to the high priest and Sanhedrin for a commission to take up all Jews at Damascus who confessed Jesus Christ and bring them bound to Jerusalem that they might serve as public examples to incite terror into others.

But God was pleased to show forth in Saul his patience and mercy.

Saul was almost at the end of his journey to Damascus, when, around noon, he and his company were surrounded by a great light from heaven and fell to the ground.

Then Saul heard a voice, which to him was articulate and distinct, but not understood by the rest:

"Saul, Saul, why dost thou persecute me? Christ said not: Why dost thou persecute my disciples, but me: for it is he, their head, who is chiefly persecuted in his servants."

Saul answered: "Who art thou, Lord?"

Christ said: "Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecute. It is hard for thee to kick against the goad: - to contend with one so much mightier than thyself."

There was a Christian of distinction in Damascus, Ananias, greatly respected by the Jews for his irreproachable life and great virtue.

Christ appeared to this holy disciple and commanded him to go to Saul who was, at that moment, in the house of Judas at prayer.

Ananias trembled at the name of Saul, being familiar with the misdeeds he had done in Jerusalem and the errand for which he set out to Damascus.

But our Redeemer overruled his fears and charged him a second time to go, saying:

"Go, for he is a vessel of election to carry my name before Gentiles and kings, and the children of Israel: and I will show him how much he has to suffer for my name. For tribulation is the test and portion of all the true servants of Christ."

Thus a blasphemer and a persecutor was made an apostle. He was chosen to be one of the principal instruments of God in the conversion of the world.

St. Paul never recalled his wonderful conversion, from which have poured forth many blessings, without raptures of gratitude and praise to the Divine and His mercy.

The Church, in thanksgiving to God for such a miracle of his grace, to commemorate so miraculous an instance of his almighty power and to propose a perfect model of a true conversion, has instituted this feast.

We find this mentioned in several calendars and missals of the eighth and ninth centuries, which Pope Innocent III commanded to be observed with great solemnity.

[twobrothersatwork]

"Cast away from you all your transgressions, by which you have transgressed, and make to yourselves a new heart, and a new spirit: and why will you die, O house of Israel? For I desire not the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, return ye and live."

Prophecy of Ezechiel (Ezekiel) 18:31-32 Douay-Rheims Bible

Artwork: Benozzo Gozzoli, The Conversion of Saint Paul.

[alevelrs]

Conversion Experience

Conversion experiences can be dramatic, or gentler and slower to develop. A ‘conversion experience’ refers to the kind of experience where someone abandons his or her old way of life and belief system, and adopts a new one, based on an inner experience which he or she is convinced comes from God. This tends to follow a basic pattern:

The individual is dissatisfied with his or her current ‘system of ideas’ – people do not tend to be converted if they are content as they are.

The person searches at both an intellectual level and an emotional level for a basis on which to make a decision, for example, tuning to the Bible, going to an evangelical meeting or listening to other conversion stories.

There is a point of crisis, a time of intense emotion, sometimes with both physical and emotional symptoms. Often this is described as a sese of the presence of God, a sense of sinfulness and repentance, sometimes described in terms of visions, bright lights and voices.

This is followed by a sense of peace and joy and a loss of worry, as week as a desire to share the new faith with other people and talk about the experience.

In the longer term, they experience a hange in direction a anew sense in the purpose of life and sometimes a complete change in career.

William James writes “to say that a man is ‘converted’ means, in these terms, that religious ideas, previously peripheral in his consciousness, now take a central place, and that religious aims form the habitual centre of his energy”. In other words, a religious experience can change someone’s whole outlook on life. James thought that psychology could describe conversion but was unable to account for all the factors in any given case, and asserted that the conversion experience can be interpreted by its results. If after the experience the person is happier, kinder, more loving and positive, this is enough evidence to suggest the experience was valid. This is supported by the Bible where it says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”

Conversion experiences have been the focus of many psychological studies, where psychologists have attempted to determine whether there are particular personality traits/circumstances that make individuals more susceptible to conversion experiences than others. Conversion experiences can be the subject of controversy as it is impossible to tell if outside social or psychological factors have influenced them, rather than the activity of God.

One of the most famous conversion experiences in Christianity is that of Saul, who went from persecuting Christians to a strong believer that Jesus is the Messiah.

[superiorcatholicinspiration]

Daily Mass: Paul has a conversion of heart. Catholic Inspiration

Photo by Eren Li on Pexels.com On his way to Damascus to hunt for followers of Christ, Paul is struck to the ground and blinded. Having his sight restored through Ananias’ intercession, the one who formerly persecuted the Church now becomes a shining example of faith. Mass Readings – Friday of the 3rd Week of Easter (#277) *************** Catholic Inspiration Archives

[mikehaysbooks]

The Conversion of St. Paul

January 25 is the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, Apostle. It’s a cool story that always captured my Catholic boy attention growing up. My middle name is Paul so naturally the story of my namesake should get my attention. But man, to put it mildly, Saul of Tarsus (Paul’s name before his miraculous conversion.) was an asshole. This was a guy who “breathed murderous threats against the…

[amirasainz]

Can you do reader is Landos sister and she’s his whole world but she’s away at school and she surprises lando at a race?

Of course!!! I hope you like this.

Send me some requests and enjoy reading

-XoXo

Little Norris

It was no secret within the paddock that Lando Norris’ favorite person in the entire world was his younger sister, YN. No matter the context—be it interviews, casual conversations, or even playful banter with other drivers—Lando always found a way to bring her up.

The paddock had grown accustomed to hearing him wistfully complain about how much he missed her, and how unfair it was that she was stuck at school, unable to attend the races.

Sadly, this wasn’t just an exaggerated tale; YN was enrolled in St. Paul’s Girls’ School, a prestigious all-girls school in London, where students could only visit their families during weekends and holidays.

However, YN’s academic commitments were so demanding that even those weekends were usually spent buried in books, only leaving the school for holiday visits. Lando’s ever-busy Formula 1 schedule certainly didn’t make things any easier.

So, it came as no surprise to Oscar when Lando began lamenting once again about how much he missed his baby sister.

“I just don’t get why she still has to go to school. It’s miles away, and she can’t even come home on the weekends,” Lando groaned, his expression a mix of frustration and longing. “The last time I saw her was in February, Oscar. FEBRUARY. Can you believe that?”

Oscar, who had heard variations of this complaint countless times before, only raised an eyebrow and responded with a calm, “Really?” knowing full well that Lando wasn’t done yet.

“And to top it off,” Lando continued, his voice rising in exasperation, “I tried calling her yesterday. And instead of picking up, she sent me to voicemail. Voicemail, Oscar! Why would she do that? Do you think she’s mad at me? Oh no, what if Mum finally told her I was the one who ate the last cupcake at Christmas? She’ll never forgive me!”

Oscar couldn’t help but chuckle at Lando’s melodramatic worry, but the constant whining had begun to wear on him. Finally, he placed both hands on Lando’s shoulders, spinning him around to face him directly.

“Lando, relax. I’m pretty sure your mum didn’t tell her about the cupcake incident,” Oscar said, trying to suppress a smile. “She’s probably just busy studying. You know how much school means to her.”

Before Lando could cut him off with another complaint, Oscar pressed on. “Look, we all know how much you adore YN, and you’d probably move mountains to keep her by your side. But you’ve got to understand—she enjoys school. She loves hanging out with her friends, and she’s passionate about her classes. She’s smart, Lando, and she adores you just as much as you adore her. So don’t go saying silly things like this. You know it would make her feel bad.”

Lando let out a deep sigh, the usual playful glint in his eyes dulled by a hint of sadness. “Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he mumbled, his pout still intact as he was called away by one of the McLaren mechanics.

He gave Oscar a grateful, albeit slightly sheepish, smile before walking off towards the garage.

Oscar watched his teammate disappear into the distance, and once Lando was far enough away, he exhaled deeply, the weight of the secret he’d been holding onto starting to lift. No one had ever told him that lying—even for a good cause—could be so exhausting.

Because, of course, Oscar hadn’t been entirely honest. He was well aware of just how much Lando missed his sister. In fact, he’d spent weeks meticulously planning a surprise that would, if all went smoothly, bring YN right to Lando’s side.

After countless emails, flight arrangements, and some help from McLaren’s logistics team, Oscar had managed to fly 17-year-old YN out to Azerbaijan for the next Grand Prix.

The plan was to keep her arrival under wraps until after qualifying, ensuring Lando could focus on the race without the overwhelming distraction of knowing his favorite person was already there. The last thing anyone wanted was for him to lose focus during such a crucial part of the weekend.

While Lando busied himself with free practice sessions, YN was out exploring the local markets with some of the McLaren team’s family members. She was set to return to the paddock just as Q1 began, hidden away in the garage until the perfect moment.

Oscar had envisioned Lando’s face lighting up with pure joy, his usual calm demeanor shattered by the surprise.

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

But things didn’t go quite as planned.

Qualifying that day turned out to be a disaster for Lando. From the very first lap, nothing seemed to go right. He struggled with the car’s balance, fought the understeer in nearly every corner, and couldn’t extract the pace he needed. Sector after sector, frustration built. The radio was filled with agitated comments, and by the end of Q1, he had been knocked out of qualifying altogether, missing the cutoff for Q2 by mere fractions of a second.

When he climbed out of the car, his body language said it all. Lando was livid—frustrated with the car, with himself, and with the result.

His helmet visor remained down longer than usual, as if he wanted to hide his disappointment from the world.

His walk back to the garage was slow, shoulders slumped, as mechanics and engineers exchanged worried glances but kept their distance. No one dared say a word.

Once inside the team’s motorhome, Lando stormed off to his driver’s room, eager for a moment alone. The air in the narrow hallway was thick with tension, and Oscar watched him go as his teammate finally ripped of his helmet, his heart sinking.

He knew Lando was hard on himself, but he also knew what awaited him on the other side of that door.

Lando opened the door to his driver’s room with a frustrated push, expecting to collapse onto the couch and stew in his disappointment. But as soon as he stepped inside, his breath caught in his throat. Standing in the middle of the room, a small, warm smile on her face, was YN.

“Surprise,” she said softly, her eyes twinkling as she took in her brother’s shocked expression.

For a split second, Lando didn’t move. He just stood there, staring at her, as if his brain needed a moment to catch up with what his eyes were seeing. Then, suddenly, it all hit him at once—the weeks of missing her, the frustration of the race weekend, the love he felt for his little sister—and his eyes immediately filled with tears.

“YN...” His voice cracked as he whispered her name.

Without another word, Lando rushed forward and pulled YN into a tight hug, burying his face into her shoulder as if he were afraid she might vanish if he let go.

His arms wrapped around her protectively, squeezing her like a lifeline. YN, used to Lando’s emotional side, simply hugged him back, gently running a hand through his hair.

“I missed you so much,” Lando mumbled into her shoulder, his voice muffled but thick with emotion. “I can’t believe you’re here.”

“I missed you too, Lan,” YN whispered, a soft laugh escaping her. “Oscar helped organize it. He said you’ve been whining about me non-stop.”

Lando laughed, a watery chuckle escaping him as he finally pulled back to look at her, his hands still resting on her shoulders. His eyes were red and glassy, but his smile was the brightest it had been in weeks.

“You have no idea how much better this makes everything,” he said, his voice still shaky with emotion. “I had the worst qualifying. But... you're here now.”

YN smiled at him, brushing a tear from his cheek. “I’m sorry I missed qualifying, but I’m here for the race tomorrow. We’ll celebrate then, okay?”

Lando nodded, pulling her back into another tight hug, resting his chin on top of her head. “I don’t care about the race right now,” he muttered, his voice soft. “I’m just happy you’re here.”

For the next few minutes, they simply stayed like that, wrapped up in each other, the world outside forgotten.

Lando’s earlier frustrations seemed to evaporate, replaced by a warmth that only YN could bring him. He felt calmer, more grounded, like a weight had been lifted from his chest.

Eventually, there was a knock on the door, and Oscar poked his head in with a cheeky grin. “You okay in here? Thought I’d check in before I’m accused of kidnapping your sister.”

Lando turned around, still holding YN close, and flashed Oscar a grateful smile. “Mate, I don’t even know what to say. You’ve made my year.”

Oscar laughed, stepping into the room. “I figured you could use a pick-me-up. I was getting tired of the constant whining.”

Lando rolled his eyes but couldn’t help the smile that tugged at his lips. “Okay, okay, I get it.”

Suddenly, Lando’s mood shifted entirely, the disappointment from qualifying now a distant memory.

His eyes sparkled with excitement. “Right, we need to introduce you to everyone!” He glanced down at YN, who chuckled in response.

“I’ve already met some of them,” she teased, “but I’m sure they’ll appreciate your grand tour.”

“Trust me, it’s different when I introduce you,” Lando said proudly, his arm slung around her shoulders. He led her out of the room, a new energy in his step as if the earlier qualifying session had never even

With his little sister by his side, the world already looked a lot brighter than it did that morning.