Night Visitor

Mere words cannot describe the way I feel,
when I first think of God as He appears,
and with an overwhelming wave so real,
He comes to comfort me and quell my fears.
Like when night clouds part and the moon beams through,
to flood our vision with her stunning light,
God's presence all at once breaks into view,
abruptly to conclude the gloom of night.
His dawning scatters all my worries dark,
the troubled thoughts of all my problems cease,
my battery of faith begins to spark,
as comforted I sense His calming peace.
I'm grateful, Lord, You brighten and console
the dark discomfort of my burdened soul.

                                -- by Pete Voelz        11/07

Why God Is Great

God is not great because He shaped the stars,
because He formed the flowers and the sun,
for forging Jupiter, the moon and Mars,
but for His Personhood of Three in One.
God is not great for offering us heaven or hell,
nor great because He rules from heaven above,
nor for His victory when Lucifer fell,
but for my soul made capable of love.
God did not make me great to be a king,
nor make me free just so I could be free,
nor free to shop and buy most everything,
but free to love Him back for loving me.
You’re great, O God, because You love and care,
and we’re both great for this great love we share.

                                     -- by Pete Voelz      2/27/12

Gift and Giver

My gift is worth more not because of me,
its worth derives from Him to Whom it's given;
God's gift to me is worth infinity,
God gives my gift the endless worth of heaven.
God's greatness wraps itself around my gift,
and then because my gift is given free,
my gift's unworthiness begins to shift,
and God's great worth uplifts my gift and me.
I cannot give unless God wants me to,
His power alone lets me my gift deliver,
and only God can tell my faith is true,
and with His infinite love bless gift and giver.
Accept this worthless gift from worthless me,
and raise me, God, to Your infinity.

                          -- by Pete Voelz       9/07

Truly Love

If light can only go in light-year time,
my thoughts can travel faster in my mind;
I see the past and future in their prime,
but thoughts alone cannot make us be kind.
Our words are not as wide as thoughts may be,
though written words are seen, those spoken, heard;
but words won't quench my thirst as much as tea,
and bellies can't be filled up with a word.
Our thoughts and words aren't lovers like our deeds,
they're nice, but it's on food that people feed;
it's action that fulfills our human needs,
we want our hearts to love and not just bleed.
O God, I want my love to merit true,
not just believe or think or talk, but do.

                                -- by Pete Voelz      10/07

God's Lent

In Lent, despite my prayers, some sins persist,
I know it’s no use crying in my beer,
I go to Mass, receive His Eucharist,
Christ is a taste of heaven we have here.
I owe to friend and foe so many debts,
I merit punishment more than reward,
relief comes when, confessing these regrets,
I dump them on the altar of the Lord.
“Let go, let God,” we’re taught to say in church,
best to accept serene what I can’t do,
I’ve found on trips, no matter where I search,
Lord, nothing matches coming back to You.
With all these cares, O God, upon my plate,
when I give them to You, they dissipate.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       2/24/12

Facing God

If I pray, God, to You I must be true,
there is no insincerity in prayer,
I have to face myself in facing You,
I know there is no hiding anywhere.
I try to hide in what I do all day,
it's easier if Your face I cannot see,
but if I touch You close in prayer this way,
I sense You really watching over me.
I know in facing You I'll have to change,
and not just follow all the things I feel,
some former ways I'll have to rearrange,
with You, no faking it, I must get real.
O God, as I do recognize You near,
I pray You help me overcome my fear.

                 -- by Pete Voelz      8/07

Closer Lent

Now it is time, what shall I do for Lent?

I interrupt my weekday for some ashes,

think how my wayward ways I can repent,

six weeks of self-denial, not forty lashes.

I’ll spent more time with God in special prayer,

closer to God, far from some food we fast,

turn down the worldly noise that’s everywhere,

and sacrifice for heaven where it will last.

The lives of saints and Scripture I can read,

avoid some sin, get close to God again,

alms for the poor--closer to God in deed,

rend not my clothes, but heart to let God in.

Let me come close to raise my voice in praise,

and spread Your love, O Lord, these forty days.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      2/22/12     

Which World?

“When we’ve been there ten thousand years,” the song
Amazing Grace tells of eternity,
how here life’s short but there so very long;
which time frame do I focus on and see?
The Good Book says life lasts the blink of an eye,
a moment between two eternities,
we don’t live long, surprised we come to die,
such serious thoughts should drive me to my knees.
The beauty of this world is just skin deep,
we can’t tell our life’s book just by its cover,
God cares about the company we keep,
should I not put first more this greatest lover?
My body’s good, its care a worthy goal,
but grace tells me to care more for my soul.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      2/21/12

The Force of Faith

How much, O God, You force my faith to be,
for faith in One Whose voice I never hear,
and faith in One Whose face I never see,
commands my love, and then invites my fear.
And yet You force my faith another way:
my faith’s forced when I marvel at the stars,
I’m so impressed by words Your Son will say,
my sins confessed, You wipe away the scars.
No need to hear Your voice or see Your face,
Your wonders are enough to know what’s true,
I can’t deny the working of Your grace,
my sense inside impels my faith in You.
In Your world and this soul and body mine,
my faith’s compelled to see Your grand design.

                            -- by Pete Voelz      2/20/12

From Where Love

Where comes this love that's planted in our heart,
so beautiful, so precious, so benign,
this love that bonds us closer with such art,
that wraps itself around us like a vine?
No one who's loved a mother need be told,
how strong, how deep, how innocent is love,
how love unites foe-friend, rich-poor, young-old,
how love fits all together hand in glove.
What joins us all with love is God alone,
there is no evolution for love's song,
God gives us love, for love is all God's own,
if we love true, to God we do belong.
Since God is love, that makes true love divine,
when I love true, I taste and make God mine.

                          -- by Pete Voelz     6/10

Opening Up to God

What does it mean to open up my heart,
and then, O God, to let You enter in?
You want my openness, what is my part?
Show me how I should set aside my sin.
My intellect tells me I can, I know,
I have the knowledge of what’s right and wrong,
my will balks at the better way to go,
I pray, for You alone can make it strong.
I sacrifice, and hope You strengthen me,
Your Scripture words show me the proper choice,
I seek Your truth in friends and liturgy,
in solitude I hear Your whispering voice.
From demons, world, and whim, I turn to You,
I close them down, so You I’m open to.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      2/12/12

Love's Integrity

Christ said in seeing Him we see God’s face,
made like to God, we show His image too,
observing Christ and us, where is God’s trace?
Not in our looks, but what we say and do.
Integrity’s our integrated whole,
to join our different parts--what does that mean?
We act with  body, mind, with heart and soul,
Christ pitied first, then touched the leper clean.
God’s touch of love makes our compassion real,
but more, His love spurs us to do some action,
true love must show, it’s more than how we feel,
like Christ, our loving deed is our attraction.
We show God’s face in us by how we touch,
forgiven by heaven, because we have loved much.

                             -- by Pete Voelz      2/14/12

Changing God

Observing a Protean God, what can one say
about a God Who is immutable?
But changeless God keeps changing day by day,
He's working on His millionth miracle.
Each day God comes to me and changes me,
He makes me different while He stays the same,
He reaches out with His infinity,
and then stays close to me despite His fame.
I'm not immutable, I change with time,
yet I am boring though He is not bored,
He brings a new idea, verse and rhyme,
so we can sing together in one accord.
Your changeless love for me is ever new,
let me keep changing, Lord, for love of You.

                                 -- by Pete Voelz     7/09

Serious Guard

The fact that God is at my beck and call,
with saint and angel friends who never sleep,
that cloud of witnesses told by St. Paul,
all armed against the monster from the deep,
that something very serious--a war--
is being fought each minute, every hour,
demanding our attention at the core,
aware that we can bring to bear God’s power,
puts me on guard to access God in prayer,
to love and worship Him with all my might,
to see His face in people everywhere,
to follow Him and always do what’s right.
O God, You are so serious with me,
I’ll take You and this war more seriously.

                       -- by Pete Voelz      2/11/12

Be Free and Love

That we be free means more than God be loved,
for love's worth little if it is not free;
love can be urged and maybe even shoved,
but there must be some freedom ultimately.
Love is not love if love must be coerced,
for only freely gifted love is true;
thus we're born with--not love--but freedom first,
as we grow free, our love must blossom new.
While freedom's given, love is a choice we make,
God leaves us free to even make Him cry;
though He lets us leave freedom for His sake,
both are their best when offered as we die.
God is so great, I'm pressed to love Him best,
not being free, but loving free's the test.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       7/07

Way of Love

Shall I compare the way I love to Yours?
How can my human love be like divine?
For who can know the kind of love it stirs,
compared to how so few are stirred by mine.
Lord, You are love, all true love comes from You,
to lend Your love You have created me,
help me to share Your love that mine be true,
love free from You I wish to render free.
No summer's day that wants to wax and wane,
no fickle love, no transitory kind,
but love that grows and hopes to not complain,
my love, like yours, wide-open and unblind.
So long I have a gentle soul that prays,
I'll love like you and never count the ways.

                         -- by Pete Voelz      11/10

The Contours of Our Lives

We may not be a mystic or a saint,
nor reach the perfect ways for which one strives,
here every effort meets with some constraint,
we work within the contours of our lives.
There are no words to match the way I feel,
the more I reach to God, so He recedes,
in all we do we're stuck with what is real,
yet somehow He takes care of all our needs.
We usually do not choose the ones we meet,
so many things don't go the way we plan,
we're mostly marching to another beat,
we take what comes and do the best we can.
God, You'll make all come out right in the end,
so long I don't forget Who is my friend.

                           -- by Pete Voelz     8/07

God's Time

Time stops for none, but God stops time for me,
the Good Book says life's over in a blink,
but God makes life last to infinity,
how can life be that long yet just a wink?
Creative God gave us the gift of time,
but as time flows, it swallows up the past,
time seems to slow when we are in our prime,
but old we grow and know it will not last.
Some say we only have one life to live,
but really not, if we join ours to His,
when back to Him His gift of life we give,
time stops and life eternal's all that is.
If my life's time and Yours are joined as one,
then my true life, O God, has just begun.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz     5/09

Gentle There

When I reach out to God, He's gentle there,
when I need Him, He doesn't miss a beat,
He reaches out to me with gentle care,
His cooling countenance turns down the heat.
Why does Someone so big help one so small,
how can He with a universe to keep,
when does He find the time to help at all,
who am I midst the billions of His sheep?
I marvel at the close attention paid,
He minds my sins as well as keeps me fed,
He pierces me with His bold spiritual blade,
He gently gives me life, then bears me dead.
I'm overwhelmed with gratitude to You,
O God, let me be gentle with You too.

                              -- by Pete Voelz     5/09

Guiding God

God has a future all planned out for me,
but He wants me to help Him make it work;
I want to do it all because I'm free,
though on my own I'd do it like a jerk.
Somewhere between us we must compromise,
where my good freedom fits His holy plan,
where face-to-face my eyes see with His eyes,
and following Him, I still act fully man.
I meet His ways in conscience and in prayer,
where we can walk together side by side,
with eyes of faith I see Him everywhere,
my partner, helper, friend and gentle guide.
O God, we work together hand-in-glove,
because in faith I freely choose Your love.

                        -- by Pete Voelz     6/10

Doing Love

What do I do with love to know it's true?
Can I tell just because I feel love in me?
Is love but feelings or something I do?
What did my loved one do so much to win me?
Must I show love or just feel it inside?
Cannot the joy of love be real if hidden?
Is always love a rollercoaster ride,
that joy and ache must show although unbidden?
With kind and gentle words I'll tell my love,
with caring deeds I'll show love to my lover,
I'll prove by love my love I'm fondest of,
by love I'll let my love my love discover.
My love will know and feel love in its essence,
when love I show so real while in her presence.

                            -- by Pete Voelz     6/10

Number One God

Of all that's ever been, God is supreme,
God is the best of all that ever was,
of all the crop, God's always been the cream,
because of all He is and all He does.
Whenever anyone competes, God ranks,
He's always at the top, for God is first,
the Lord deserves our worship, love and thanks,
to turn away from God, that is the worst.
Does He come first Who is my destiny?
Do I scorn Him and make myself the king?
I look at God, is He supreme with me?
Do I think God's best when I want something?
O God, take me, hug me and hold me fast,
for I want You, my first, to be my last.

                        -- by Pete Voelz     7/10

Flawed Wishes

O God, You know those wishes in my heart,
the worldly wants I barely dare to pray for,
the selfish-seeming things that are a part
of my desires so dubious I may stray for.
You know some hopes I should not have perhaps,
some slightly devious I am not so sure of,
I don't face fully so keep under wraps,
feel guilty for yet can't resist the lure of.
I'd like to pray for just what is Your will,
unsoiled by earthly ways and blest by heaven,
unlike what's in my heart so longed for still,
that You know maybe needs to be forgiven.
O God, help me tear out what is not true,
so my poor soul comes perfectly pure to You.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       8/10

Poet God

We have with us a God of poetry,
His universe of beauty can be heard,
His world of wondrous music we can see,
by us to be translated into word.
We note His laws of nature keeping time,
feel His creation marching to a beat,
in all His symmetry we read a rhyme,
and sense a rhythm melodious and sweet.
But there's an angel fallen from above,
who tries by sin all poetry to erase,
while we poor souls inspired by poetry's love,
write lines more gracious by the Poet's grace.
Old Poet God with poems forever new,
help me harmoniously just copy You.

                      -- by Pete Voelz     9/09

No Magic Prayer

God answers prayers but He does not do magic,
still He with joy rewards the one who prays,
we can't just pray away the sad and tragic,
but God rewards in faith the one who stays.
Our prayers do work but they're not automatic,
we don't just get the things for which we pray,
God's answers sometimes have a little static,
our priceless prayers can have a price to pay.
Prayer may not seem sometimes to be effective,
clear prayer will usually not have clear effect,
this fallen world is clearly so defective,
God's choice and mystery we must respect.
I trust someday Your answer will be clear,
if I sincere, Lord, pray and persevere.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       7/09

Short Life

I know You want me, God, to think of You,
to set aside myself and worldly ways,
and care about in life what's really true,
and not just waste away the passing days.
Life is too short to not just stop and pray,
a moment between two eternities,
a trip when we poor pilgrims try to stay
afloat amidst a stream of stormy seas.
I must admire Your mystery masterpiece,
it's comforting to know I am a part,
that I can make my spiritual strength increase
by hearing clear Your voice within my heart.
May I stay with You, Lord, for life is short,
let me steer straight a course into Your port.

                               -- by Pete Voelz         9/10

True Dreams

Your ways range far beyond my fantasies,
Your plans for me are stranger than my dreams,
in my design You weave Your sign with ease,
You hew to my poor schemes and burst the seams.
Old dreams you take and make them all anew,
You resurrect the reveries of youth,
and shape them into things befitting You,
to multiply the kernels of their truth.
You time Your interference with surprise,
as long-forgotten hopes come back to shine,
some secret yearnings You revitalize
and dim-hoped visions suddenly are mine.
O God, I marvel at the dreams You make
come true, it seems, for nothing but my sake.

                                    -- by Pete Voelz        6/10

Blessing God

I want Your blessing, Lord, when am I blest?
Is it when I some miracle receive?
Or like Christ said, when doubting Tom confessed,
“Blest are those who do not see, yet believe.”
“You’re blest when you believe,” said cousin Beth,
“for promises from God shall all come true.”
As Mary heard that then, so I at death,
will learn it, Lord, if I put faith in You.
Blest too if pure of heart or making peace,
or persecuted or in sorrowful moods,
and overall my blessings would increase,
if I would heed those Eight Beatitudes.
I’ll open up my heart and blest I’ll be
as You, Lord, come to bless and visit me.

                              -- by Pete Voelz     2/1/12