CARAVAGGIO,  
CONVERSATIONS, 

AND  CONVERSION 

MOMENTS

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Caravaggio, Conversations and Conversion Moments.”

Today’s gospel triggered for me some thoughts - inner conversations -  about Caravaggio - 1571-1610 - an Italian Artist who died at the age of 38.

ROME 2011

In late September and early October, 2011,  I was on a Mediterranean Cruise. On September 30,  I was planning on taking a bus to Rome from the dock at Civitavecchia. My goal was to see our Redemptorist house in Rome - some of my confreres - and visit the shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. I didn’t think anyone would want to see that. Rome is Rome. I had been there for 5 weeks way back in 1984 - and saw all the big spots back then.

I get off the boat and head over to where the bus was. I spotted two ladies in our group - Winnie and Mary. They too were going to Rome - without knowing what they were going to do. I changed my plans and spent the day with them. I felt guilty on the bus on the way back to the boat - having walked them to death - one in her 80’s - the other in her 70’s. I didn’t ask their ages.

The bus dropped us off at St. Peter's. So that was the first and obvious place to see. Then we walked with nothing in mind - to see what we were to see in Rome. 

Well, there we were in the Piazza Navona....

We spotted a church - San Luigi dei Francesi. I never heard of it - never knew of - so we went in.

From the back we could see folks down front - off to the left - looking at something. We meandered towards them to see what was happening. There in the so called “Contarelli Chapel” - we discovered three of Caravaggio’s famous paintings:  The Calling of St. Matthew, The Martyrdom of St. Matthew and St. Mathew and the Angel.

I was to read after we got back on the boat: this was one of the 10 top places to see in Rome.

Well, I stood there and studied The Calling of St. Matthew. I then bought the book - on display and on sale inside the Church: The Bible of Caravaggio. Smart buy: I’ve gone to that book many times.

In the painting, The Calling of St. Matthew, we see Jesus - hand pointing - standing on the right calling Matthew - who is sitting off to the left - with red sleeves - same as Jesus. 

Matthew's head is down and he’s counting coins on the table.  

In the light is Christ - with a halo. We also see a young man with feathers in his cap. People speculate whether this is the Rich Young Man in today’s gospel who walked away from Jesus.

SURPRISE

The title of my homily is: "Caravaggio, Conversations and Conversion Moments."

Life is the surprises - like my changing plans that day when going to Rome. 

Life is the surprises - like walking into that church of St. Luigi dei Fancesi - the Church of St. Louis of France - and spotting 3 paintings by Caravaggio.

Those paintings got me into various inner conversation and wonderings these past few years about Caravaggio.  

Whenever I spotted an article about his paintings, I would check it out.

Caravaggio was a violent man. He killed a few people. He was often on the run. He died at 38. 

He came to Rome at the right time: they were building churches and palaces and they needed paintings. 

He also lived at the time when the Roman Church was coming to terms with the Protestant Reformation. Some in the Church called for a new way of thinking. Some were looking for painters who had a new message - a new way of seeing things. Why not show the human face - using ordinary people -  trying to figure things out - grasping for light in everyday darkness. Instead of eyes looking to the heavens, why not show eyes cast down counting coins at a tavern table?

Why not show Jesus in the rough and tumble situations of life? Why not show Jesus calling people to conversion in everyday situations? 

And in the articles and the conversations I read about Caravaggio -  I've read that his paintings are filled with light and darkness - in everyday scenes - with everyday people.

Of course - there were those who didn't like change. There were those who didn't like his style - or his scenes. For example, he did a painting of Mary that showed the bottom of her legs - her ankles and a tiny belly - as she was dying. It was a painting for a chapel and it lasted for a very short time in that chapel. If the owners kept it, it would be worth millions today.

Did Caravaggio change as a result of being in Rome and doing these religious pictures? Do preachers change as a result of being in a church and trying to paint pictures with words?

CONCLUSION

So what I got out of Caravaggio is that the story of our conversion takes place in the inner conversations we have with ourselves about the people and the situations that take place in our everyday life. 

In those inner chats we have with ourselves,  we experience light and darkness - confusion and clarity - inside us and all around us. 

Life happens at us - but it's not what happens that counts. It's what we become conscious of - and then what we talk to ourselves about - that counts. That opens the door to possible changes - conversions.

Everyday is filled with comments. There are bumps. There are fights. Anger erupts. Maybe comments about our tummy being bigger than we would like or the look of our ankles can cause comments and rejections. Hopefully, unlike Caravaggio we're not killing people. Yet people cut us off in our conversations or what have you and these can be conversion moments - calls from Jesus to be like him in those situations - to follow him.  

Surprise! These are life's choice moments. Sometimes we are like the rich young man - we think we can’t do it and we walk away. Sometimes we are like Matthew and we follow Jesus. Amen