Pleasing God

What pleases You, O God, I want to know?
First faith in You--what does that really mean?
In public worship that my actions show,
repentence for my sins, a heart made clean,
some hope that shows I'm trying to sin less,
some work on sinful habits I might break,
some honesty for wrongs I should confess,
some charity to others for Your sake,
humility, to see that You are there,
to humbly say Your will and laws are true,
to show my real humility in prayer,
to love You first, then all for love of You.
St. John says we show love when we obey,
let me obey to please You, Lord, I pray.

                        -- by Pete Voelz     6/10

Love So Great

Lord, let me do all things with love so great,

that when You add much of your love so kind

to mine, both loves will deeply penetrate

the inner soul of sinners though so blind.

It's not so much what great things we might do,

but rather what we do without reward,

unselfishly and offered up to You,

for love is small when love we only hoard.

Love grows if added to some suffering,

a little suffering that's sacrificed,

a bit of pain attached to everything,

to join Your greatest suffering, O Christ.

Let me give small things so my love endures,

to grow to greater love, O Lord, like Yours.

                                -- by Pete Voelz      5/10

Ordinary God

There is an ordinary God up there,
and that's why we are ordinary too,
He is the God of ordinary care,
and ordinary are the things we do.
To God there is no mystery to it all,
His order rules, we do the things we must,
and when by sin we in disorder fall,
He drowns in grace and mercy those who trust.
To us it seems a mystery we are free
and special and unique in every way,
He planned our ordinary destiny,
as we keep faith 'til His own destined day.
I offer free each ordinary thing
to You, my great and ordinary King.

                   -- by Pete Voelz         6/09

Healthy Fear

I love my parents, but I fear them too,
that I might hurt them is my biggest fear,
I fear their punishments for wrongs I do,
their love and justice are what I revere.
Though God's almighty, He still lets us be
able to love Him or reject His care,
since love's not real unless we're really free,
our love and fear of God are like a pair.
God's much more powerful than parents are,
His punishments based on His rule and rod,
His love and justice greater too by far,
He's perfect and all good, for He is God.
There's no respect if healthy fear is gone,
from my same heart, Lord, love and fear are drawn.

                                       -- by Pete Voelz      8/09

Commanding God

If I commanded God, then what would change?
Would I want Him to make a better me?
What then about me would I rearrange?
Am I beyond my own capacity?
Maybe I'd have Him make a better world,
a world without a war so there'd be peace.
What kind of nature would I want unfurled,
where fear between the lion and lamb would cease?
Should I command God do away with pain,
and make it so we were not free to sin?
But with no cross could we salvation gain?
And all unfree, how could we heaven win?
God, why should I command Your grace divine,
when You've made me a heaven already mine?

                             -- by Pete Voelz      6/07

Bond with God

I thought it would be good to bond with God,
so we could be great friends without a doubt,
perhaps then we'd relate with no facade,
and I'd find out what life is all about.
Sometimes it seems God's like a little boy,
you have to get down on the floor and play,
and share with Him whatever holy toy,
and even get down on your knees and pray.
To bond I must be intimate with Him,
I'll whisper since we're never far apart,
I'll leap in, not just play around the rim,
I'll listen to Him whisper in my heart.
I trust You, God, in all humility
because I know You died to bond with me.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       6/07

Saints Show

The saints show us how we and God relate,
they serve as an example for our deeds,
they lead us like lambs through the proper gate,
and demonstrate how God fills all our needs.
For all their flaws, in this life they found grace,
and God rewards them with a holy fame,
they did not seek it in this fallen place,
they only meant to serve His holy name.
If they could speak to us, what would they say?
Their lives are like a lighthouse in the night,
their focused actions do so clear convey
the message to love God with all your might.
O Christ, just as You are their model true,
we follow saints so we can follow You.

                              by Pete Voelz       5/08

The Collector

As God is God, He's the collector of
the bows of all the sunflowers in the sun,
the honor, blessing, glory, praise and love
arising from the millions for the One.
Thus God collects the due He does deserve,
creation lauds His vast divinity,
yet one exception can choose not to serve,
we humans--unlike all the rest--are free.
Alone we can deny that God is God,
the speck refuse the infinite His due,
the mountaintop rejected by the clod,
disdaining Him Who loves us through and through.
May I so free, O God, reflect somehow
the due respect You are collecting now.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       11/07

Desperate Love

What love drove God to make the Me exist?
If we are passionate, how much more He,
to create one that He could not resist,
to love so desperately He made the Me.
God's crush on Me, more than infatuation,
deep as the sea and full of great emotion
for Me, the pinnacle of His creation,
brought to the Me the best of His devotion.
God's love made Him desire love in return,
true love required the Me be free to love,
and to be free His desperate love to spurn,
the only love one can be certain of.
O Lord, let me fire up my love for You,
so I ensure this Me does love You true.

                         -- by Pete Voelz        6/09

Great Smalls

God makes me happy with the smallest things,
though with some small things He can make me sad,
of course, God sending sadness always stings,
but when I offer them, it makes Him glad.

I offer up my little woes each day,
and God sends little blessings down to me,
by following St. Therese’s Little Way,
I’m sometimes sent a little GMC.

A GMC, God-Made Coincidence,
is evidence of God answering our prayer,
His little miracles, His Providence,
that prove He’s there with all His love and care.

O God, I offer You my little pain,
and You send me small miracles like rain.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       4/21/12

Pulled Miracles

Sometimes God lets us pull a miracle
out of His power when we do challenge Him,
He shows His power for something wonderful
when He accepts our challenge at His whim.
It helps to pad the challenge with a prayer,
it helps to add a sacrifice or two,
of course He sees at heart we really care,
and we must do the work we have to do.
Each prayer's a challenge to God's love and power,
He will not fail us if we are sincere,
He likes to send us miracles like a shower,
for doing wondrous deeds is God's career.
O God, I do have faith we two are free
so we can pull a miracle for me.

                               -- by Pete Voelz        7/09

Kind God

I want to say, O God, how kind You are,
how beautiful the world You put us in,
how full the wonder in each twinkling star,
how good we feel when You forgive our sin.
You gave me things like life, You were so kind,
kind parents who taught me to be a lover,
kind saints to follow when I'm so inclined,
kind angel over me to always hover.
How kind of You to give me faith so true,
so I’d choose to love You Who made me free,
to be so kind to others and to You,
and made all kind so they are kind to me.
For all Your kindness, Lord, if You don't mind,
I'll find a way to pay You back in kind.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       3/09

Fine Line God

God is my shield, and yet He lets me be,
He does a lot but walks a long fine line,
He knows I cannot love unless I'm free,
thus much of all the fighting must be mine.
God is my strength, faith offered as a gift,
one He leaves me so free to take or leave,
He gives me hope, my anchor as I drift,
He hopes His faith in me helps me believe.
God is my sword, made in the form of grace,
I pick it up by sacrament and love,
He models all these gifts here from His base,
His Church that spreads His great gifts from above.
O God, in freedom I reach out to You,
and by Your grace accept Your gifts as true.

                                    -- by PeteVoelz      6/09

God Dares

God of the universe, how do I dare
come and approach You now so fearlessly,
filled by my sins, with but a tiny prayer,
and personally ask You to attend to me?

I dare because to me You dare to come,
You loved me in Your heart first long ago,
You dared bring me to life though small and dumb,
and so I can now come to You, I know.

You bridge the gap between me small, You great,
You bury me within Your loving heart,
You mission me to Your name resonate,
and promise me our names will never part.

You dared me, Lord, so now I dare You too,
to make me great within the world of You.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       4/17/12

Carin' for Karen

I saw your soul of goodness that first night,
you let me in, we danced the night away,
as your kind smile showed me we were all right,
so we have been all right down to this day.

God prompted you to let me see inside,
past shallow flaws and deep good qualities,
where your true self and inner soul abide,
the gold God gave to build our memories.

Your sweet self I sensed then, I reminisce,
still lets your central soul keep shining through,
so I desire still those lips to kiss,
that still leave me so crazy about you.

That night, before we met, I said a prayer,
God gave me love and you and I still care.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       4/13/12

(Composed a few days ago for my wife for April 17,
the anniversary of our meeting 41 years ago.)

Proud and Free

O God, to choose my fate You made me free
to put me first or else to first put You,
give me a smidgen of humility,
so my relationship with You is true.

If it leads me to hell, what good’s my pride?
What good is freedom if it takes me there?
What good are earthly values once I’ve died?
I’d rather freely choose a humble prayer.

It’s true I am the captain of my soul,
yet I would rather be Your slave on earth,
and hand over to You complete control,
than go to hell where freedom has no worth.*

O Lord, I’ve fixed my sight on heaven above,
where proud and free we both will share Your love.

*Satan is quoted as saying, “I’d rather be
free in hell than a slave in heaven.”

                     -- by Pete Voelz       4/15/12

Routine God

Creative God still has His own routine,
a pitbull God, He never lets me go,
when I'm pitbull, His ways He lets me gleen,
He doesn't mind His mysteries to show.
Spontaneous God with habits never boring,
always refreshed by my routine of prayer,
refreshing me with constant grace outpouring,
habitual strength for favored friend to share.
Original God seems so set in His ways,
trapped in His faithful rituals of love,
He lives, He makes, He gives, He takes, He stays,
my quarks made like a million stars above.
The God of infinite creativity
vows not to bore me all eternity.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       11/10

God's Lemon

For Your eternal life what should I do?

Should I wait 'til You stretch Your arm to me?

Or should I first stretch out my hand to You?

A simple faith can mean eternity.

"Lord, I believe, help Thou my unbelief."

He begged Christ, then Christ worked His miracle,

Will I believe when death comes like a thief?

Why not now when Your life's still beautiful?

I fear I'll have to change a lot that's there,

my sins and baggage that I hate to face,

I have to trust You with my simple prayer,

that You will answer me with tons of grace.

O God, I know You can, I'm not afraid,

take lemon me and make me lemonade.

                         -- by Pete Voelz     7/09

More Time for God

What would God say if I gave Him more time?
It's a real question, for I have a choice;
would I end up as just some kind of mime?
With all His talk, would I still have a voice?
With God can we mere humans get too close?
I mean, so what would happen to my space?
It's likely so with God to overdose,
especially when you meet Him face to face.
If I give Him more, is there less for me?
Or when I give to Him, don't I get more?
Is He outdone in generosity?
Will He not fill me up with gifts galore?
I'm busy, yet I know what I must do,
O God, I want to give more time to You.

                          -- by Pete Voelz       2/07

Beauty Duty

A flower's beauty moves us to God's glory:
Magnolias match His gracious majesty,
the Rhododendrons tell His tender story,
as Trilliums spin their petals' Trinity.
Abelias rally to the Alpha One,
while Zinnias pray to their Omega Lord,
the Sunflowers turn to face His burning sun,
and Daisies duel to drink His cool reward.
If we as people see a Peony's glee
or newly view a Tulip's dew'd debut,
can't He with ease decree a Sneezeweed be
a blue mileau and woo as Lupins do?
If sweet Petunias merely do their duty,
God will be loyal and enjoy their beauty.

                          -- by Pete Voelz      2003

The Garden of My Soul

In spiritual imagination, I
take up again my spring-to-harvest stroll
on radiant paths where all my virtues vie
to make with love a garden of my soul.
A rose blooms there my every hour of prayer,
with each good deed, I plant a sunflower seed,
for funds I share, I give carnations care,
I say the creed for blooms my bluebells need.
My fortitude's strong and fairy thimbles blossom,
my justice thrives and jack-in-the-pulpits grow,
my prudence sprouts, the passionflowers are awesome,
my temperance ripens, tulips overflow.
All year I guard for God my gardener goal--
to live with love the beauty of my soul.

(Dedicated to our late pastor, Fr. Bill Overmann,
who loved to take photographs of gardens)

                               -- by Pete Voelz        2001

Last Words

"I thirst," Christ pleads as He hangs on the cross,
for those souls who by chance might still be lost;
"This day, Good Thief, your death will be no loss,
the path to Paradise you now have crossed."
"My son, your Mother, Mother, lo, your son,"
He rules in giving her to all mankind;
"My Father's full forgiveness you have won,
if you repent to what you may be blind."
"My God, My God, have You forsaken Me?"
In desperation He to heaven cries;
and ready then to set His spirit free,
"It is all done," He breathes before He dies.
"To Your hands, Father, I commend my soul"--
His last words as His death fulfills His goal.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       11/07

(Dedicated to the one who played Christ
and recited these seven last words.)

Spring Beauty

When winter drifts and cicles start to melt
as March cold days give way to April's hue,
a joy for spring's fresh loveliness is felt,
a prescience of summer, sunlight, dew.
My camera's eye can faithfully record
the sunny-speckled finery of green,
while marvel mine the workings of the Lord
that there could be such beauty to be seen.
Then through this springing beauty you appear;
your walk betrays the drabness of the trees;
all things are eclipsed by your features dear,
and now seems old this spring my camera sees.
Since your sweet loveliness springs ever new,
my eyes are forced to rest only on you.

-- by Pete Voelz   -- for my wife, Easter, 2003

Placed Faith

Sometimes my faith grows weak because misplaced,
but I’m still strong because my faith is strong,
my faith is strong because I have been faithed,
weak faith is strong when faithful all along.

My faith is even strong when I am weak,
and even with weak faith, my faith’s strong too,
God strengthens my weak faith when mine seems bleak,
with stronger faith, the Lord keeps coming through.

God gives the gift of faith, I make the choice,
though my weak choice may need a gentle shove,
my faith is strengthened when I heed His voice,
and more when I let it increase my love.

Though strong or weak, my faith once chosen free,
like Your faith, Lord, is not misplaced in me.

                                 -- by Pete Voelz       4/7/12

The Purple Rock-cress Passion

A mass of brilliant flowers hides their leaves,
His bloody stripes hide greener life inside;
the red-stained cross is placed between two thieves,
their cruciform four blooms with more collide.

The rock-cress spring perennial violet
when violet violent Lent returns each year;
like flat, nailed cross raised to its silhouette,
first prostrate, then ascending stems appear.

This cross-shaped cruciferae family,
like blossoming Christians learn to sign themselves
and join the Church to bear their cross so free,
shows petalled crosses from their rocky shelves.

Some hosts of bread-white rock-cress flowers grow up,
like snowy wafers offered to be Christ
with crimson vintage in the chalice cup,
near wine-red buds bred to be sacrificed.

So we, anonymous like this little flower,
as He, incarnate, died among us here
was raised to life then by a Father's power,
will be raised too like rock-cress are each year.

                           -- by Pete Voelz        2001

In God's Name

What’s in God’s Name that makes it be so great?
By any other name would God be sweet?
Beyond the stars does it still resonate?
Without His Name would not we two still meet?

His Name’s so great it can’t be said in vain,
His first command and second are the same,
for “I’m God” and “I am” He would maintain,
and Jesus added, “Hallowed be Thy Name.”

Each tongue should say that Jesus Christ is Lord,
all other names should bow to His above,
His Name should bend all knees so He’s adored,
as Father, Son and Spirit live in love.

Because Christ’s win from sin prevents our loss,
we make in Their Names His Sign of the Cross.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       4/5/12

Christ Center

Christ is the center of the human race,
His birth begins and ends our calendar,
we are the normal cards, He is the ace,
His suffering saved us from the way we were.
Christ Jesus, center of both God and man,
the human Incarnation of divine,
between both heaven and earth, the central span,
makes me God's, and in Eucharist, God mine.
O Christ, You're at the center of God too,
the Son, the middle of the Trinity,
the Father did it all for love of You--
the Alpha and Omega mystery.
Yet me You choose, Christ Center of it all,
to at the center of Your love install.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       7/09

God Rules

God rules my heart and also rules my breath,
He counts my breaths, the beating of my heart,
He starts at birth and ends His count at death,
He’s never far, for never do we part.

Christ said once that my hairs all have a number,
no doubt my DNA, each gene, each cell,
while my eyes sleep, God’s eye will never slumber,
and of each thought of mine, God’s tongue can tell.

From God--if I should want--I cannot hide,
why should I? I’m the apple of His eye,
besides my self, He knows my soul inside,
He willed my life, He wills when I should die.

You, Lord, are Spirit, with no parts to count,
Your love for me--who fathoms the amount?

                               -- by Pete Voelz       4/3/12

Distance Love

O God, I want You closer than You are,
so I can more than just believe, but know,
so I can sense You near and not so far,
so I can feel You stay more than You go.

But faith demands some distance, Lord, from You,
without that distance, faith might not exist,
there’d be--if we could really see You true--
no need for faith in You in Eucharist,.

And if there were no faith, would we be free
to choose--while in the dark--to see the light,
to love You back despite the mystery,
and merit the reward for choosing right?

So, Lord, let me not fear You’re not so near,
and so not lose my chance to choose You here.

                             -- by Pete Voelz     4/1/12

God Rests but Never Sleeps

God never sleeps, while I dream nights away,
I zoom around and all I do is flawed;
cool God, relaxed, just whiles away the day
so nonchalant, as I am overawed.
God rests His case when every person dies,
our great Defender, mercy well in hand;
we guilty, ignorant, with Him so wise,
the verdict in, we calmly understand.
If God's so smart, why am I smarter still?
If God's so good, why do I all for me?
If God knows best, where is my flailing will?
God's humble, while I need humility.
We fight, O God, and yet I'm not that dumb,
I do believe and pray: Thy Kingdom come.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       2/06