Thursday, June 30, 2011

God Fodder

God somehow will make good of all that’s been,  
all that's wiped out about us when we die,  
all that's been done that won’t be done again  
God's witnessed, so it's all inscribed on high.  
God will bring dignity to all of it,  
He'll show the meaning of each deed and thought,  
our sins and stupid doings, every bit,  
will make us wonder at what God has wrought.  
All will be brought together for His praise,  
we'll gasp at how He makes all things make sense,  
all He renews will not cease to amaze,  
and we'll all sigh at God's great Providence.  
Let me, Lord, heap up here good fodder for  
the wonderment for us You have in store.

                                   -- by Pete Voelz      1/09

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Soul Reality

I look for research on the love of God,  
the sole results will show on Judgment Day;  
the world we see is only a facade,  
our soul reality is here to stay.  
"We are not humans with a spiritual part,  
we're spiritual beings with a human side."*  
That bloody organ's what we call our heart,  
but more it's where our guts and love reside.  
A "cloud of witnesses"** helps guard us here,  
a thin veil separates them all from me,  
when I do good, the world won't hear them cheer,  
I'll hear my spiritual reality.  
The world can't solve our God of mystery,  
that ears and eyes of faith can hear and see.

                                      -- by Pete Voelz       6/29/11

*Paleontologist theologian priest Teilhard de Chardin
**Hebrews 12:1

(Dedicated to my nephew John on his 46th birthday.)

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Unwasted Pain

My suffering, God, shows how much I love You,
and You know I don't do it for the gain,
but more because I know You want me to,
because love's pleasure's greater than the pain.
I'm not some masochist who likes the ouch,
just as my sin's not some sadistic gift,
but offering pain is better than to grouch,
not to join mine with Yours casts me adrift.
O Lord, I know You suffered much for me,
last thing I want is that mine be a waste,
to prove my gratitude You've left me free
to waste my pain or by Yours have it graced.
My gift of suffering here You will employ
to make my brief pain now eternal joy.

           -- by Pete Voelz       1/08

(Dedicated to my two Luke friends)

Monday, June 27, 2011

Flower Faith

Do flowers show faith to help faith flower in me?
DesCartes had faith he was because he thought,
but millions know they're real because they see
the dewy blooms of blue forget-me-not.
If guileless gaywings give such beauty free,
if faithful fairy bells fare the way God wills,
if they display His faithfulness to me,
can I be more disloyal than daffodils?
The floss flower flaunts no bias to faith or race,
the rock rose grows the same where I may roam,
I trust the dutiful daisy anyplace,
I tend the reliable lilac in my home.
If God vests violets with such faithful power,
how much more me, more precious than a flower.

                               -- by Pete Voelz    1998

(Inspired by Fr. Bill Overmann, flower lover)

Sunday, June 26, 2011

God of Briney Sea

I see You, God, within the briney deep,
how smart You are, how I admire You,
You made the sea where whale and pirate sleep,
from floor to wave You rule the brine and blue.
On one Creation day You spawned the ocean,
You split the earth to briney sea and land,
You set the modest minnow into motion,
and placed the giant shark at my command.
You fired my mind with Nemo's Nautilus,
my gut with Long John Silver's fish and chips,
my myths with Neptune's storms and octopus,
my history with fair Helen's thousand ships.
Yet more, O Lord, than tales and briney sea,
You poured Your greatest love on tiny me.

                             -- by Pete Voelz     6/26/2011

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Love Protocol

In human ways, love is the protocol,
do you not too prefer sweet love to hate?
Love makes the world go ‘round, say one and all,  
if you want help, try using love as bait.
Just love your dog or cat, just love a child,
a little love, they eat out of your hand,
give them a lot and they go crazy wild,
they’ll vow, “I love you!” and strike up the band.
God made our love most basic to relations,
our patience, kindness, harmony and peace,
for couples, individuals and nations,
to see the fruits of love like joy increase.
Make love your manners’ way, your p’s and q’s,
and you will win the day and never lose.

                             -- by Pete Voelz     11/10

Friday, June 24, 2011

Prayer Text

My prayer is like a text I post to God,  
first I compose and write and then I send,  
I don't know if He's got it so I prod,  
until I get an answer from my Friend.  
To catch His beep I need a quiet ear,  
I look with eyes of faith for His reply,
sometimes it is direct and quick and clear,  
or puzzling or surprising bye and bye.  
I need not print or save or store the text,  
or memorize what He will not forget,  
it matters not when I implore the next,  
in Paradise they're on my sobriquet.  
To my prayer-text God's certain to respond,  
no mind that He's beyond the great beyond.  

                                   -- by Pete Voelz    10/10

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Good Friend God

O God, You are so good a friend of mine--
though Your transcendence keeps You far from me,
and I'm just human while You are divine,
You sent Your immanent Son for us to see.
Good Shepherd mine, the Way, the Truth, the Life,
O Trinity of Father, Spirit, Son,
defend, protect me in my time of strife,
bind up my wounds, O Good Samaritan.
The Alpha and Omega of my hope
is You Redeemer, Savior of my soul;
I push the edge of my life's envelope
towards You, Light of the world, most loving goal.
While love to my poor branch Your vine outpours,
I pray I stay so good a friend of Yours.

                                   By Pete Voelz       1998

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Mystery Plan

O God, if You're so far, why are You near?
O God, if You're so great, why do You care
so much for someone who's so little here,
and who, without You, God, is not all there?
I know You care because You made me be,
out of all nothing then You formed my face;
for Your own reasons You created me,
in Your own image and by Your own grace.
Part of Your plan, born in a mystery,
I somehow was the object of Your love;
You test me now for all eternity
to find You here and in the stars above.
O God, Your way that many doubt is true
I do believe and put my faith in You.

             -- by Pete Voelz         1/06

Love Trumps

If no one ever knows your face or names,
and you remain anonymous, alone,
remember, to a treasured few, real fame’s
who gave you love and made your love their own.
Though you may never really matter much,
you matter to me to infinity,
I love your face, your name, your voice, your touch,
and glory in the love you share with me.
God makes it all worthwhile no matter how
unknown we are to everyone on earth,
what's most important is the here and now,
not how some future calculates our worth.
Be mindful that true love trumps all the rest,
love from our mates, good friends and God is best.

             -- by Pete Voelz        5/08

Sunday, June 19, 2011

God's Play

Life's one great play and God directs it all,
He makes us come alive and gives us parts,
we walk on Eden's stage after the Fall,
His lines and law inscribed upon our hearts.
God guides us in our roles but sets us free,
to choose our actions and what words to say,
yet following the script and His decree,
discovered in our prayerful interplay.
So many players careless of their roles,
distracted by applause, pretense and fun,
the scenery, costumes, frolics, poor lost souls,
forgetting our true audience of One.
O God, let me not think the play's the thing,
that keeps me from my conscience and the King.*

                                     -- by Pete Voelz      5/08

(With a bow to Hamlet: “The play’s the thing
wherein I’ll catch the conscience of the king.”)

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Get Around to God

To get around to God I have to give,
for when I'm getting, God I can forget,
so long I get the things I need to live,
I don't need God until I start to sweat.
God's always there for me, I'm not for Him,
I trust too much One so reliable,
my carelessness is gone when things go grim,
then I presume to pray a miracle.
I give some alms, but more I need to go
to church and humble pray and not complain,
to give more of myself to others so
to gain some grace, which means to give some pain.
O God, I should not covet something new,
until I go and get around to You.

             -- by Pete Voelz       9/08

Friday, June 17, 2011

God, My Hope

My hope is in the Lord, Who made me whole,
in God Who made the heavens and the earth,
in God Who has the steerage of my soul,
Who tells me the infinity of my worth.
God is my strength, He is my shield and sword,
He gives me graceful weapons for the fight,
my nourishment and aid come from the Lord,
He showers me with His sufficient might.
God knows it all, has all at His command,
He put us in command and set us free,
outside of that, He everything has planned,
right down to His support for little me.
O God, my hope, my help, my strength, my shield,
with You at my right hand I shall not yield.

             -- by Pete Voelz    

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Hypocritical Me

Despite my sins, I still make sure to pray,
I trust God handles my hypocrisy,
God tells my sin it will not win the way,
God's mercy free, I test repeatedly.
O God, I try to keep my prayer sincere,
my public witness proves I don't despair,
so I don't wander far, I keep You near,
I know I can depend upon Your care.
Since seventy times seven you forgive,
I hope I can presume upon Your grace,
I strongly pray You grant me strength to live
so I don't fear to look You in the face.
You know I know Your words are true, and so
like Peter said, "Lord, where else can I go?"

                                 -- by Pete Voelz        5/08



Tuesday, June 14, 2011

God Outside

God sits outside the universe He made,
not in a separate place, but different state,
and He called "Good!" all His work here displayed,
then He made man the greatest of the great.
Despite our sin, God loves us most of all,
and proved it when of all He made us free
to answer or repudiate His call,
to choose our course for all eternity.
But sneaky God does not just sit out there,
His infinite love is full of mercy too,
He helps those who engage with Him in prayer,
He gets involved and knows us through and through.
Great God, I know You always can outwit
dumb me, who sometimes doesn't care one whit.

                                         -- by Pete Voelz     9/08

Monday, June 13, 2011

Gentle Lord

I see how gently, Lord, You tend to me,
You knit me in my mother's womb with care,
You placed me with a loving family,
You did all this while I was unaware.
You've given me a mind so I can think,
a home and friends and schooling all my own,
I've always had enough to eat and drink,
an angel here so I’m never alone.
You gently draw me from the mess I'm in,
You gently help me with the cross I bear,
You gently do--it's true--forgive my sin,
and give me heaven in answer to my prayer.
O gentle God, one thing I ask of You,
that You would make me, like You, gentle too.

                                       -- by Pete Voelz     11/08

Friday, June 10, 2011

More Spirit

I know myself. I am more spirit than man,
my fully human self is mostly soul,
my will's not what I do, but what I can,
my mind's not just to think, but to control.
My spirit's free in ways my body's not,
my will is free to forge my destiny,
my mind is free to soar and see, or rot,
together free, they are the soul of me.
My body dies, my spirit lives on and on,
I know by eyes of faith not just by science,
my soul suggests saints are the best icon.
As Einstein said, "I stand on the shoulders of giants."
Lord, it's my soul by which I am and do,
and I decide if I joyride with You.

                    -- by Pete Voelz, for Pentecost, 2011

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

My Grotto

My grotto is invisible
embedded in a cloud,
bejeweled by blue lobelia
of Aves prayed aloud.

Festoons of Pater Nosters
drape the facade of stone,
while litanies of dittanies
bloom for God alone.

My rosaries and blessings blend
in a galaxy of paints,
enriching every statue niche
are shadow souls of saints.

A dawning skyline blossoms with
Our Lady's veil of blue,
as happy answers to my prayers
drop down in angel dew.

                          -- by Pete Voelz   12/04

Monday, June 6, 2011

Grace Place

To win, I must cooperate with grace,
to sin, I must give in to sin's allure;
just as I must run hard to win the race,
I tend to sin when I do not endure.
God gives me more His grace the more I try,
with faith and gracefulness in all I do,
and when I fall, I need to resupply
His grace from every Godly rendezvous.
Grace comes each time I meet with Him in prayer,
and going to church, I never draw a blank;
instead of greed, grace makes me want to share,
and when I love, I take it to the bank.
I find grace in God's own community,
and I am graced by love God's placed in me.

                                -- by Pete Voelz     6/08

Sunday, June 5, 2011

iPod God

O God, where am I on Your iPod, please?
Can You find time to call me on Your cell?
Your camera ever catch me on my knees?
On Your TV can You see me rebel?
Do I detect You on my iPod, God?
I never see You on my techno-screens,
I know the media don't make You mod,
not on my internet or magazines.
If I spend so much time on visual stuff,
do I just worship my technology?
Do I attend to You or pray enough,
or do I use these toys to worship me?
Let me take time to listen to You, God,
not just adore my puny poor iPod.

                            -- by Pete Voelz   12/06

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Willing Faith

Why are some blind to all Your work, O Lord,
while others see Your mighty hand displayed?
As You leave some excited, never bored,
some others always rain on Your parade.
Why do some fight against Your mystery,
so angry that they fail to grasp Your power,
as others gaze in all humility
at mountain vistas and each dainty flower?
Do You not grant the gift of faith to all?
Can't we all sense the wonders of Your heart?
So why do I reply to my faith call,
when some are numb to plumb Your awesome art?
Rather than stew for You to prove You're true,
I will to place my hope-filled faith in You.

                                      -- by Pete Voelz