Inspired Desire

Who is so full of hate he would not love?
What child, so hurt or wild, cannot be reached?
What war does not yearn for a peaceful dove?
What words of love and peace are never preached?

Which songs are there that don't hope to be sung?
What heart so brave would spurn encouragement?
What person old would not sigh to be young?
What note of love does not burn to be sent?

What flag is there does not aim to be waved?
What creature wishes he had not been made?
What soul is there prays never to be saved?
What God makes laws He does not want obeyed?

All these good things, O good God, You inspire,
give us, we pray, all good things we desire.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       12/07

God Visits

God visits us the most when we're alone,
we usually cannot hear Him in a crowd,
We meet Him in a spiritual twilight zone,
He seldom visits when a place is loud.

How can I hear God's voice, Isaiah wondered,
He listened when a great wind shook the trees,
he listened when the earth quaked and it thundered,
then heard God in a tiny whispering breeze.

I hear God in the quiet solitude,
best in the dark while on a mental stroll,
when all the noise of day cannot intrude,
and I can sense the silence of the soul.

O God, You come and trace a mystery
my eyes of faith enable me to see.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       12/07

Doctor God

I go to Doctor God when my soul hurts,
just like I see a doctor when I'm ill,
my soul from spiritual sickness He converts,
if I pray Him to save my soul, He will.

My Doctor God will cure my disbelief,
He gives the gift of faith that I desire,
from doubts and worries He brings me relief,
He strengthens my weak spirit when I tire.

My Doctor God calms down my stormy soul,
He always knows the trouble that I'm in,
I run the race, He brings me to the goal,
His medicine of mercy cures my sin.

Just as I trust my doctor heals somehow,
Lord, You'll not lend my soul less solice now.

                     -- by Pete Voelz       11/08

Far Infinity

How long, I wonder, is infinity?
Does it just mean too long to understand?
How long is our eternal destiny?
Sometimes these theories get out of hand.
How far is infinite supposed to go?
Does that mean it is somehow out of sight?
How far's the universe supposed to grow?
Does it go quiet into that dark night?
If God is infinite, will we be too
when we take part in His divinity?
And if He's everywhere all through and through,
will there be any room for little me?
The more I think on it, the less I know
except to humbly say, God wills it so.

                          -- by Pete Voelz      4/06

First Family

I'm God my Father's own adopted son,
and Jesus Christ is my own Brother too;
you know how much you don't want yours to run
away and, angry, turn his back on you.
God is our Father just as Jesus prayed,
I hope I can be worthy as His child;
I pray that in the long run I have stayed
close to Him, and so always reconciled.
And Jesus gave His Mother to us all,
I never want to leave her love and care;
she often comes to help us when we fall--
to think they offer us a heaven to share.
O Father, Brother, Mother, Family,
I thank you for always including me.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       2/05

Loyal Love

O God, my love is told by loyalty,
I search for truth,* and You have proven true;
as You have shown Your loyalty to me,
I’m forced to find my faithfulness in You.

How clear You prove Your loyalty with love,
for making me, I’m filled with gratitude,
You shower me with blessings from above,
You give me Your own body for my food.

How, Lord, shall I be loyal in return?
I’ll see our ways are never far apart,
Your words and works in Scripture I will learn,
my works will show the true love in my heart.

I leap to Your defense when You’re attacked,
my loyalty’s not, Lord, just in the abstract.

* Socrates said our purpose in life is to search for truth.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       7/25/12

Souls Like Mine

Can it be true that every other soul,
locked in itself, is somehow just like mine,
that all the while it's playing out its role,
it yearns for everything short of divine?

Our bodies trap us yet we feel the need
to fly somewhere, escape our time and place,
to be ourselves, yet from ourselves be freed,
to take time out to have a spell of grace.

And other times to have our self be known,
and finally get the stuff dreams are made of,
and dump the empty sense we're all alone,
and have at least just one show us some love.

Love, grace and the divine are from the Lamb,
Who made and loves me just the way I am.

                            -- by Pete Voelz       11/07

In Desperation

I go to God because I'm desperate,
who else can help me in my hour of need?
When all seems lost, when every door is shut,
I turn my face to You, O God, and plead.
I feel so deep, I cannot find a word
that tells all that I want to say in prayer;
I wonder if my groans are even heard,
or if, O God, You still are listening there.
Yet will I try to see my way to You,
repeating prayers, I feel my words take flight;
I trust by faith some thoughts are getting through,
and with the hope I soon shall see a light.
O God, Who's never let me down before,
I humbly ask, and simply pray the more.

                            -- by Pete Voelz       1/06

No Fooling

I can’t fool God, He is the God of truth,
He watches me and sees me all the time,
He knows me like He knew me in my youth,
He knows me in my folly and my prime.

God reads my thoughts, no place for me to hide,
my sins hurt Him, but I can’t run away,
He’s out there everywhere and deep inside,
tomorrow, yesterday, and, yes, today.

He sees through me, no holding back, no lie,
I am the only thing He’s thinking of,
He sees all that I do and how I’ll die,
and all the time He floods me with His love.

Keep watching, knowing, God, and loving me,
You’re Lord of my eternal victory.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       7/23/12

YOLO Lord

A young man gets a gun--Sirhan or Lee,
one leader dies, or twelve die in the thunder,
the wanton killings no one wants to see,
where are You, Lord, in their poor lives, I wonder?

The gun sits on the sill like some sad vulture,
I’ve neve heard one die by drive-by knives,
kids lying in their violent, sex-soaked culture,
why must they die not loving You in their lives?

We read, they don’t, most just do the technology,
the media feed their need to take a life,
they pill, then kill, just do it--the biology,
the single one with gun should take a wife.

O YOLO Lord, we live once for Your sake,
for You teach souls to give instead of take.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       7/22/12

Eternal Love

There's faith and love, but first of all there's hope,
I hope in You, O Lord, in my despair,
without much hope, I cannot even cope,
and faith and love end up in disrepair.

It's faith alone that's needed to be saved,
before we do much else we first believe,
with more than hope and love our road is paved,
those who sustain their faith, God will receive.

Yet of these three, the greatest one is love,
wrote good St. Paul, and God is love, wrote John,
love conquers all, and love's what life's made of,
faith and hope pass, eternal love goes on.

O God, I'll put my faith and hope in You,
but best I'll love and have the other two.

              -- by Pete Voelz       6/09

Calm Faith

I can't see God, and yet I do believe;
I do believe, help, God, my unbelief;*
Your gifts, O Lord, do all my doubts relieve,
Your gift of faith gives me the best relief.

Faith calms our doubt and serves some certainty,
though certainty that is not absolute;
faith is sureness of things we cannot see,
of mysteries that drive us to be mute.

Twixt proof and God there always is a gap,
or we'd be God if we knew all there is;
our earthly minds must have a handicap,
until He shows us everything that's His.

For my strong faith, You'll give me my reward,
so always I'll believe, my faithful Lord.

* St. Augustine

                            -- by Pete Voelz       9/07

If God Were Here

O God, if You were here, would I love You?
Would I be glad, or would I be afraid?
Would I want all to see I loved You too?
Would I ask You to stay and hope You stayed?

 Would I show You my love or be ashamed?
Would I care if they saw we hugged and kissed?
Would I love You as much as I have claimed,
like when we meet each day in Eucharist?

Would I give You my best authentic smile,
hold You close and not want to let You go?
Would I want You to linger for a while,
and not care if the whole wide world would know?

No empty questions these, as we say, “Hi!”
For this is how I’ll meet You when I die.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       7/3/12

Small Prayer

My prayer will not do much for it is small,
yet it is better than no prayer at all.
I care a lot for who I'm thinking of,
so I pray my small prayer with lots of love.
"Small things, great love," Blest Mother Theresa said,
so I kneel down to pray beside my bed,
I trust God's watching while I sleep all night,
that to my small weak prayer He'll add great might,
and so I hope that with the morning dew,
God's mighty love has made my prayer come true.
All right, He won't give me all I request,
because He knows my needs--for me what's best.
So to His expert will I will defer,
because with prayer I'm still an amateur.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       5/10

Not Good Enough for God

God wants to come to me like saints of old,
He wants my will, He wants my heart to try,
He wants me fierce for Him, so brave and bold
to bear my cross and willing, yes, to die.

And yet I feel not good enough for God,
He’s perfect--God! While I am such a sinner,
my sins offend Him, so it seems quite odd
He should love me and see me such a winner.

He made me knowing I’d turn out to be
a sinful person and unfaithful too,
yet loyal and loving He is still to me,
and merciful, forgiving through and through.

So more about Your love, Lord, let me learn,
so I can loyally love You in return.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       7/17/12

World Anew

With every soul, God makes the world anew,
the cosmos changes when a baby cries.
Who knows the impact once we are in view,
does not the bell toll all when just one dies?
I am unique, there's no one else like me,
God made me special for His awesome aim,
no one will know until eternity,
when He’ll call out my individual name.
Who can predict my journey's arc on earth,
although it lasts, the Book says, but a blink,
or measure what the grace I spread is worth,
or for my sins what dregs the world must drink?
Exactly what I’m for I do not fear,
just so the world is better I am here.

                        -- by Pete Voelz      12/10

Trouble Grace

Like Socrates, I search for truth, it’s true,
“My heart is restless ‘til it rests in You.”*
But restless searching does not cause my fear,
I cry for I now need Your help down here.

“Out of the depths I cry, Lord, hear my plea,”**
lend Your ear to my prayer, please answer me,
for if You mark my sins, then who can stand?”
I’m willing to leave myself in Your hand.

I need Your aid, O Lord, because I sin,
but also for the trouble that I’m in,
help me to follow and to love Your law,
for You are God, Whom I do hold in awe.

For You have mercy and do me forgive,
I’m open to Your grace as I do live.

* St. Augustine
** De Profundis, psalm of David

              -- by Pete Voelz       7/12/12

God-blest Love

Someday, O God, You’ll be our all in all,
in Paradise we’ll worship only You,
beneath Your love, all other loves will fall,
and all our Godly loves will show they’re true.

Your love’s so great, no others can compare,
for You, O Lord, are love, so Your true love
encompasses all loves that might be there,
no love is true unless blest from above.

If we think our own sinful love is good,
we are mistaken if it’s not like Yours,
You can’t bless sin, let it be understood,
only true love, blest by Your love, endures.

Because love blest by You I want to find,
O God, I’ll leave my sinful loves behind.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       7/1/12

Two Wills Work

God works with what my will provides Him with,
It's not determined, He does not dictate,
that I'm free to do all I want's a myth,
He helps me to define and do my fate.
Of course, God has all power on His side,
but He holds back because He made me free,
offended, He still lets my sins abide,
to aid a fallen world with fallen me.
I must be free for any love to show,
for love without my freedom isn't real,
and my real love His kingdom needs to grow,
so our two free-willed loves can work a deal.
God has the power to do His will alone,
but He shares power to make His world my own.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz       4/10

I in Your Eye

God, You’re so great I fear to talk to You,
yet You’re my friend Who loves me very dear,
sometimes You seem so far I think it’s true,
but I know better, Friend, You are right here.

I know You’re here for You are everywhere,
like water, You flow and fill every space,
You eagerly hang onto all my prayer,
as much I ask, You fill me with Your grace.

You hound me, You will not leave me alone,
You know I’m hungry for Your every word,
You gently hold me as Your very own,
You long to hear, I’m grateful to be heard.

Your love’s so strong, O Lord, You make me cry,
I know I am the apple of Your eye.

                      --  by Pete Voelz       7/12/12

Grace Words

If You, O God, want me to write a poem,
it’s up to You to send the inspiration,
I’m not inspired just letting my mind roam,
nor do I pound out words by perspiration.

I know Your trick--You show how much You love me,
reminding me of all the things You’ve done,
You flatter me You’re always thinking of me,
You treat me like I am Your only one.

Then--zap!--You shoot it like an arrow through me,
You quick set words into an opening line,
each rhyme and cadence You slide easily to me,
until Your thoughts are made to look like mine.

Your views, Your words I barely have to chase,
You let me write, ungracefully, Your grace.

                            -- by Pete Voelz       6/26/12

Grade-A God

I have to say, O God, You earn Your A’s,
You give me Your Attention like You’re glue,
it’s Your first A I grade You in four ways,
but do I give attention back to You?

Your kind Acceptance of me gets an A,
how little I accept what You give me;
me You Approve, not what I do or say,
do I choose to approve You when I’m free?

The final A You earn is Your Affection,
Your infinite love for me will never end.
What little love I send in Your direction!
With failing grade, I barely call You friend.

Your straight A’s, Lord, in these ways really glow,
while my grades in return are pretty low.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       7/10/12

No Face to Know You

Where’s the true face I know on Facebook's face?
Where’s your book I can’t find on Facebook at?
my search for your true grace can’t find a trace.
Where’s your real face, the true you I look at?
My Facebook's not your book and not your face,
I reach for you, there's no one there to touch,
my Facebook gives me no you to embrace,
I want you near, the one I love so much.
With you not here, I can't get in your face,
no you, so I can't look you in the eye,
no you to hold, no one to truly chase,
to kiss, to love, I cannot even try.
I want your presence real with me, and true,
your lovely face, your love, your grace, just you.

                                   -- by Pete Voelz       5/10

Abiding Time

Who said, “The Good, the True, the Beautiful”?*
The new, like the renewal, has a source,
the three great values seem a miracle,
they spring not now, but from the past, of course.

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty,” wrote the poet,**
the same we learn from Greek philosophy,
when math has beauty, science is true, we know it,
philosophers, poets, and scientists agree.

Our Knowledge builds, like values, from the past,
beauty reflects the good we have inside,***
we study values and history so they last,
so goodness, truth and beauty will abide.

Great knowledge and great values are never done,
the Good, the True, the Beautiful are one.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz         7/1/12

*Not what most Americans think:
“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.”

**Keats--”Ode to a Grecian Urn”

***Bl. Pope John Paul II,
as shown by Mother Theresa

God Fights for Me

Christ is a God of peace, but fights for me,
He fiercely fights right to His bloody death,
He even gives up His divinity,
and through His pain He fights to His last breath.

“You’ll only get to take his bloodied soul
over My own dead body,” Christ has said,
“I’m willing to redeem his bloody toll,
and trade My life for his poor soul instead.”

Why would this God of peace for me make war?
He knows how long eternity will last.
He shows so light’s my cross, so rich His poor,
so small my pain, His love for me so vast,.”

For me God fights like hell the devil’s lies,
and then by heaven gives up His life and dies.

                               -- by Pete Voelz     7/7/12

Love in the Way

I don't like love when love gets in the way.
If God is love, true love is meant to be,
but for His true love, He wants me to pray,
love binds me to Him, yet He sets me free.
His love keeps coming back, His voice is clear,
but this world's so enticing, seems so good,
and I don't want to miss the fun that's here,
is there a rule I must do what I should?
There's more than God's love in this world of ours,
and free among these things He lets me choose,
there is His work, or I can smell the flowers,
if I choose Him, there's so much I could lose.
What's love, O Lord? I know it lies in You.
But if love's in the way, care I it's true?

                         -- by Pete Voelz       5/10

Ageless Angel

O Guardian Angel, have you aged with me?
How little do I know your sense of time.
If I could just have known you personally,
I would have heeded you more in my prime.

O Angel, you have known me through and through,
and you still pray for me before God's face;
did you have some good angel guarding you,
providing you some access to God's grace?

So much about you, Angel, I don't know,
I put my faith in what the Scriptures say;
I wish I knew how you go to and fro,
I hope together we can work today.

I love you, Angel, so I pray the Lord
will give you more than just your just reward.

                         -- by Pete Voelz        10/07

Tender Surrender

Most loving Lord, help me to now surrender
this heart and mind of mine You gently tend,
forgiving every sin of this offender,
Your infinite love extending without end.
Lord, loving You gives me a tenderer heart,
for I know You want my heart most of all,
no sacrifice suffices on my part
as much as tender love though great or small.
You tender me Your tender love, O Lord,
from Your kind heart as tender as can be,
may my heart be more tender to You moored,
as evermore You're ever moored to me.
O gracious God, though I'm a poor pretender,
pour on my love so slender all Your splendor.

                                -- by Pete Voelz     2/10

Harmless Prayer

Prayer does no harm, no one is hurt by prayer,
yet prayer is strong, more powerful than we know,
joined to God's strength, my prayer has power to spare,
God makes my tiny prayer-power overflow.
Prayer's power brings great responsibility--
to do no harm, but with prayer do great good,
with harmless power, for all of that it's free,
it costs me nothing to pray as I should.
This power to pray we all have talent for,
though humble, helpless, weak, I still can pray,
in fact, me humble makes my talent more,
since stubborn pride's what most gets in the way.
O God of love, joined to Your love above,
help me today gently to pray my love.

                            -- by Pete Voelz       4/10

Claim to Fame

My claim to fame is I'm beloved by God,
that of all beings He deems me the best,
that God views you that way too may seem odd,
for we think best means better than the rest.
We guess a contradiction in God's thought,
we don't see wisdom in His foolishness,
but while we judge the way we have been taught,
God's foolishness is wiser than our guess.
God loves us each with love that's infinite,
to Him we're all the best though all the same,
such love's the best that finite we can get,
we're mystified by God's strange kind of fame.
Let me, Lord, not forget that it is You,
Who says how much we're loved and what is true.

                                      -- by Pete Voelz     8/10

God Right Here

God is right here, He isn’t far away,
don’t look for Him beyond some distant star,
God is right here, and He is here to stay,
don’t hesitate to call, He’s never far.

God shows how close He is in every breath,
without Him in us, we would not be living,
with us in life, He’s with us too in death,
His presence proves He never stops His giving.

A God of infinite life, He’s everywhere,
He fills up every minute, every place,
and always listening, ready for our prayer,
dying to flood us with eternal grace.

All patient, gentle, merciful and kind,
not hard to find, if I’d not be so blind.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       6/25/12