Beloved Lover

Who am I to invade the Trinity,
except it’s what the Trinity desires,
so great’s the love of these three Greats for me,
to pray to Them is what Their love inspires.

They do not wish to love only Themselves,
since They are love, Their love They want to share,
They made us not to set upon some shelves,
Their love by nature means They really care.

Their Triune love They want me to invade,
Their love They hope I will reciprocate:
“Come close, beloved lover, unafraid,”
my personal God says, “Love us, do not wait.”

Three-Person God, Love infinite and true,
may You be my Beloved Lover too.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       8/31/12

Norms of Love

Norms of Love

We have a normal God, Who sets the norm
for laws of nature and the human race,
a heart on fire with love, but gently warm
when giving us His power, strength and grace.

To meet His norm of love we must be free,
a risky norm that leaves us free to sin,
the first sin hurt as far as faith can see,
and who could clean the mess it left us in?

The other norm of love is shown by Christ,
a willingness to suffer, even die,
such love that care for self is sacrificed,
with others put before the mighty I.

Since You are love, O Lord, the norm is You,
for us to love You back the way You do.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       8/27/12

Selfish Prayers

I send to God so many selfish prayers,
I boldly ask for almost anything,
I keep them streaming as so many dares,
first begging, then demanding like a king.

My prayers are nothing God can’t handle well,
He hauls them in, the big ones and the small,
I, quickly texting on my spiritual cell,
He, lovingly carefully managing each and all.

Though He does answer in a Godly way,
God will reply in any style He chooses,
He keeps right on inspiring me to pray,
whoever does not pray’s the one who loses.

Lord, You desire our praying more and more,
for You’re the One we pray-ers never bore.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       8/29/12

To Get to Heaven

To get to heaven, God wants me to believe,
to put my faith in Him Who made me free,
to follow Him, not him who would deceive,
to humbly put God first instead of me.

Next God wants me to hope and not despair,
life's tough, I meet the slings and arrows here,
trusting in God, I share my hope in prayer,
then show it as I work and persevere.

Then God made me so I'd love others most,
to fill their needs, their hunger and their thirst,
not too much in myself to be engrossed,
but by my actions to put others first.

Most, Lord, I ask that You forgive my sin,
so that Your hoped for heaven I may win.

                      -- by Pete Voelz          4/09

Signs of Sin

The signs of sin can come in subtle ways,
we know we shouldn't, but do anyway,
quick pros and cons can leave us in a daze,
and guilt is put off for another day.

Conscience is muted while temptation's strong,
once we get started, it is hard to stop,
chance happens fast from our desires long,
we're sure a little, but we doubt a lot.

Our sneaky sins would never post a sign,
it's later hard to say just when we knew it,
our darker side o'ershadows the divine,
it barely needs to tell us to just do it.

God gives us at such times sufficient grace,
but fallen nature portions sin its space.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       12/10

from:  pmvoelz.blogspot.com

The Watcher

I sleep, and God, Who does not sleep, sees me,
I'm still, but God, awake, still hears me breathe,
I helpless lie, as God bides tenderly,
I'm all alone with One who'll never leave.

It’s dark, but saints I call light up my mind,
though quiet, they listen to my voice in prayer,
eyes closed, I am still anything but blind,
by faith, I see God's angels join us there.

God never is alone in watching us,
He brings a multitude community,
we fools expect God is some blunderbuss,
but He's a breeze of whispering Trinity.

Our watching God, Who shakes the universe,
is quiet, patient, bountiful and terse.

                         --  by Pete Voelz       12/04

Wishful Prayers

Sometimes my prayer is no more than a wish,
God sees my heart and knows what I desire,
what seems like He’s just throwing me a fish,
envelopes me with thunder, lightning, fire.

A heart depressed, left burning with despair,
sobs but a tear and gets a storm for balm,
a soul bereft of love beyond repair,
just sighs, and sees the stormy seas go calm.

There’s prayer that’s persevered and may take years,
there’s deep and desperate prayer hurled at His face,
there’s hope-repeated prayer through tons of tears,
like wishful prayers, God answers all with grace.

If God would not want wishful prayers to be,
why would He wistfully once make wishful me?

                           -- by Pete Voelz      8/24/12

To Meet God

O God, I know You want to be a part
of my life, but, O Lord, where do we meet?
In solitude You whisper in my heart,
yet speak to me in everyone I greet.

I read Your Gospel to see what You say,
and spiritual books to know what they can teach,
discuss with friends ideas that ricochet,
and hear in church the homilies they preach.

I take advice confessors might suggest,
I join in prayers and hymns for liturgy,
but of all these I talk with You, the best
is when You meet in Eucharist with me.

In thoughts, in prayers, in words, in what I do,
so many ways, O God, I meet with You.

                      -- by Pete Voelz     2/1/12

A Blink of Time

From time eternal God knew I would be,
then He decided I'd be here and now,
He knows where I will spend eternity,
but I in time decide my fate somehow.

This moment is too late to change the past,
I can't opt out, there is no place to hide,
life's but a blink, eternity so vast,
a brief time left for me to now decide.

I feel so few the answers that I know,
I go into the future almost blind,
to here I haven't got a lot to show,
though still enough to know I can be kind.

 O God, I pray that all You say is true,
because I've put all of my faith in You.

                        -- by Pete Voelz         3/07

Busy God

O God, You are so busy when we're not,
this world You started up You must sustain,
Your law You guard, each molecule and dot,
and even keep track of my feverish brain.

You stoke the coals in every burning star,
each embryo You lovingly embrace,
our fallen world is great from where You are,
from sin and evil You bring good and grace.

But You're most busy in the spiritual realm,
You strengthen us with courage every hour,
with all Your blessings us You overwhelm,
Your gifts of faith and hope on us You shower.

Such busy love for angels, humans, me,
O Father, Spirit, Son in Trinity.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       6/07

Loyal Pain

Your loyalty to me, Lord, brings You pain,
born of mysterious love You have for me,
somehow You’ve ruled for me to heaven gain,
I must for You pierce through this mystery.

Your pain comes from the evilness of sin
against a perfect God Who did create
a universe of good where sin crept in
only a perfect God could expiate.

That perfect God was Your beloved Son,
Who made up for with pain my sore offense,
so He turned out to be the only One,
God pain for God love hurt makes Godly sense.

So I know, Lord, for me to come to You,
I offer up with love my suffering too.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       8/16/12

God's Big Guns

I try to figure out things on my own,
I wrestle with them every way around,
too hard I try to solve them all alone,
I need to shed the fury and the sound.*

God gives me reason and my mind to use
to win my wars, both world and spirit ones,
but often I forget my need to fuse
my puny thinking with God’s bigger guns.

Before I think alone, I need to pray,
God won’t give stones if I ask Him for bread,**
He wants His grace and power put on display,
my wisdom, no, His foolishness instead.***

In dynamite explosions by surprise,
He works His miracles right before my eyes.

* With nods to Faulkner and Macbeth.

** Luke 11:11-- “If you ask the Father for bread,
will He give you a stone?”

*** 1 Cor. 1:25 -- “For the foolishness of God
is wiser than men.”

-- by Pete Voelz       8/20/12

Keep Face

The ones who turn their face to God in life
are those who keep their face to God in death,
if we but keep the faith throughout the strife,
God will be there to welcome our last breath.

But those who turn their back to God below
will keep on showing Him their back above,
in life they chose the place where they will go
by choosing here to turn away His love.

God's face and love are always turned to us,
His mercy and forgiveness conquer all,
in life and death He wills our happiness,
but leaves us free to hear and heed His call.

O God, I hope to face You in the end,
help me now freely choose to be Your friend.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       6/06

Fierce Loyalty

Whence comes this loyalty to You so fierce?
Is it, O Lord, born of my gratitude
to You Who stretched Your hands for me to pierce
and gives Your body, blood to me for food?

 Whence comes this love for me I cannot fathom,
You felt at heart from all eternity?
Invisible God Who seems more like a phantom,
why, why are You so fiercely true to me?

Perhaps since You’re so great, mine’s born of fear,
or, since You are love, You’ve made me to love,
and since I love, I fear to hurt You here
with sins that need much mercy from above?

For me I see fierce loyalty so true
that I for love return it fierce toYou.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       8/16/12

Best Prayer

The best prayer is the one that puts God first,
because it follows His own First Command,
the prayer that says just give to me is worst,
without “Thy will be done” as He has planned.

 Though any prayer is good if it’s sincere,
the best one humbles me before His will,
to leave it up to His way without fear,
“Let go, let God,” my selfish heart be still.

To put God first takes great humility,
to put God first, me last, attacks my pride,
first of those seven sins that humble me,
and that demand much prayer to push aside.

God’s will first, Mary said to Gabriel’s face,
like humble her, Lord, fill me too with grace.

-- by Pete Voelz       8/17/12

God's There

God's there if I believe in Him or not,
to disbelieve in food, we still must eat,
we get burned when we eat what's way too hot,
to use the kitchen, we must stand the heat.*

I plan my picnic well, yet comes the rain,
things happen, not just what I wish inside,
we may dismiss the wound, still there is pain,
I order back the sea, still comes the tide.**

That disbelief makes heaven go away
is most absurd, an unreal fantasy,
God's in His heaven and there He will stay,
and disbelief just makes it hell for me.

Denying You, O Lord, won't make You leave,
help, Thou, my unbelief so I believe.***

* President Truman famously said, “If you
can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”

** King Canute of England, Denmark and Norway
(1017-1035) showed his aides how little his 
power was by ordering the tide not to come in.

   *** Paraphrasing Mark 9:24:
“Lord, I do believe, help Thou my unbelief.”

                           -- by Pete Voelz     5/09

Next to God

I sit down next to God before I pray,
He puts His arm around my shoulder cold,
He nods he knows what I am going to say,
His understanding comfort makes me bold.

When next to God, I never seem alone,
under His arm, safe and secure I feel,
He will not let me wander on my own,
I hunger not for my next spiritual meal.

Though I regret my sins, I'm not afraid,
He lets me know that I am welcome here,
I'm never bored or feel I've overstayed,
His care will wipe away my every tear.

I leave and thank God for my prayer and rest,
I am recharged again to try my best.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       10/07

The Drama of the Soul

The family gathers waiting the last breath,
all of our life so focused on this goal,
our feeble gestures bump the wall of death,
meekly we meet the drama of the soul.

The incense rising symbolizing prayer
hangs for a moment as the church bells toll,
then wafts away like words into the air,
poor metaphors for dramas of the soul.

Our modest manners at the Mass and grave
show clear our fate leaves us with no control,
bereft we're left knowing we cannot stave
off the momentous drama of the soul.

Yet we believe our codes of love condole
the ones who know the drama of the soul.

                       -- by Pete Voelz           5/07

The Way God Graces

If I could choose the way God comes to me,
would I be me, would we not but trade places?
With God there are some things I just can't see,
just glad to play, I'll let Him hold the aces.

I know God knows the best way to appear,
the Hound of Heaven knows the one He chases,
He knows we can't know much while we are here,
in His own way He puts us through our paces.

Already He tells much in His creation,
and to make sure He touches all the bases,
He tells more of Himself in Revelation,
though He must watch how much faith He erases.

When I pray God let me escape my traces,
may I recall already all He graces.

                         -- by Pete Voelz        11/07

You'd Think

You'd think with all my smarts I'd know You more,
O God, omniscient, Who gives knowledge free;
You'd think I'd want Your wisdom to explore,
and pray Your grace would more enlighten me.

I should remember St. Augustine too,
and his advice how to successful be,
to pray as if it all relied on You,
and work as if it all relied on me.

First, God, You grace us with our natural skill,
and then reveal to us Your mystery;
You give us freedom and our powerful will,
and then You leave it pretty much up to me.

O God, I pray You for humility,
that I use wisely all You give to me.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       3/06

Coaster Life

First comes the joy when, with love, life's a thrill,
the coaster rolls up to a happy high,
and then, with love's finale, life's a pill,
when happiness has said its sad goodbye.

But, unlike love, life stays when joy has gone,
yet, unlike love, life hopes the times will change,
the roller coaster rolling on and on,
the highs and lows the norm instead of strange.

Love can't be forced, but life's in our control,
we will to fix our gaze upon the sky,
God let us be the captain of our soul,
we can choose to be permanently high.

Love's destined for the roller coaster ride,
but life can coast if we take love in stride.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       12/10

Minding God

I don’t mind God--until He asks for pain,
my sins offend Him, so I’m in His debt,
to bear good fruit, death has to take the grain,*
there’s no free lunch, I must give some to get.

I earn my bread by sweat upon my brow,**
we can’t earn heaven, though pain helps pave the way,
if I want heaven, I have to suffer now,
my actions louder speak than words I pray.

“My yoke is sweet,” He said, “My burden light,”***
my debts paid here will not need purging there;
birds don’t go angry into that good night,****
why should I if I gain by pain and prayer?

“Take up your cross, if you would follow Me,”*****
“Give up your life to get eternity.”******

* John 12:24
** Genesis 3:19
*** Matt. 11:30
**** a riff on Dylan Thomas’s poem:
“Do not go gentle into that good night.”
***** Matt. 16:24
****** John 12:25
                            -- by Pete Voelz       8/10/12

Surrounded by Love

Surrounded by the love of God, I pray
God waits for me to pray with all His love,
that He would ever not love me--no way,
since God is love, all good love’s from above.

God’s love means He surrounds me with His care,
His love made Him make me so I could be,
God’s infinite love means it flows everywhere,
that means His love surrounds and permeates me.

I can’t escape God’s love, why should I try?
Sometimes I do but there’s no place to hide,
do I show love when I sin in reply?
Should I not love the One Who for me died?

My love-surrounding God, let me likewise
surround You with my love ‘til my demise.

                     -- by Pete Voelz       8/9/12

The Benefit to God

I give to God the benefit of the doubt,
I see His stars so I suppose He's there,
I don't have everything all figured out,
so I finesse the mysteries with a prayer.

Does God love me? I answer with a hope.
Should I believe? He lends a gentle shove.
And since He gives me grace to help me cope,
I give Him back a little grudging love.

When I have sinned, I want His mercy lots,
there may be heaven and hell and all that stuff,
I'm not so dumb I can't connect the dots,
I'm not so proud and generally not so tough.

So if You doubt, Lord, my sincerity,
I hope You give the benefit to me.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       10/08

Offer to Trade

O God, Who rules my intellect with grace,
give me the wisdom that is in Your mind,*
Your foolishness I often fear to face,**
Your counsel to which I’m so often blind.

You rule my heart with love for what is right,
give me Your love for truth and honesty,
that I search for in life for Your delight,***
to build my character’s integrity.

Lord, grant my soul the courage I desire,
to bear my cross and not to count the pain,
to seek and to accept what You inspire,
to fight for and defend Your name and reign.

My mind, my heart, my soul I offer You
in trade so they stay faithful, Lord, and true.

* Of all values, Solomon put this one first.
** Jesus said the foolishness of God is wiser than men.
*** Socrates said our main goal is to search for truth.

                          -- by Pete Voelz       8/7/12

O Infinite God

O infinite God, do You have room for me?
If You are infinite, where is my space?
If You have time for all eternity,
can You find time to show me to my place?

O infinite God, do You have love to spare?
If You love everyone, is any left
for You to share with me, and may I dare
take some You won't miss when I am bereft?

O God of infinite space and infinite time,
are You not infinitely loving too?
And if all share Your infinite love sublime,
is not each infinitely loved by You?

O infinite God, I thank You gratefully
for infinite gifts You give to finite me.

                     -- by Pete Voelz       2/06

Fast Prayer

You know, there's nothing faster than a prayer,
and gone to God, how farther can it go?
I can't miss aimed at Him Who's everywhere,
close God, fast prayer, well, guess who's being slow?

If I have doubts, so what? I still can pray,
conversing's what He really likes to do,
it doesn't even matter what I say,
God reads my heart, He just hopes I come through.

He wants some faith, some work, at least a try,
He doesn't mind it messy and unneat,
He does want me to see when He goes by,
He'll do the dance if just our glances meet.

O God, You really do not ask for much,
You wait above a little love, a touch.

                            -- by Pete Voelz      8/09

For Yourself

You made me for Yourself, Lord, and Your heaven,
there's no one else You could have made me for,
if I respond, all my sins are forgiven,
with perfect You, I could not ask for more.

You also made me out of love for me,
You made me in Your image that You love,
You're happy that I give You my love free,
and glad to have my love forever above.

You are a God of love and want to share
Your love with me and want my love for You,
siince You are God, I worship You in prayer,
and love and care for all those You love too.

Because, O God of love, You love me so,
I'll work like hell so I to heaven go.

                          -- by Pete Voelz      5/09

Music God

There is no artist like the Lord of all,
He paints a beauteous sunset ever day,
nobody else can form a waterfall,
or nightly sketch, then sweep the stars away.

God gives us instruments, the music's ours,
we make the melody, then sing along,
on earth God sticks to shaping silent flowers,
and we must wait for heaven to hear their song.

But where's the music in the world God made?
The birds trill fleet and just repeat their notes,
the chords of nature sound and then they fade,
except refrains that hum from human throats.

The strains of heaven's choirs may be divine,
but here the sweetest songs God makes are mine.

                          -- by Pete Voelz          2/07

Grace Strength

Grace is God's strength, and I have not enough,
I call on God, my strength is in His name,
but even with His grace, things are still tough,
if I don't try God's help, I am in shame.

I need God's grace, His help is my support,
without it, just who do I think I am?
Without God's strength, to Whom would I resort?
To think I'm strong alone is but a sham.

Without God's grace, a vacuum would ensue,
that other one's around who would come in;
without God's help, I'm not sure what to do,
my fallen nature now tends me to sin.

O God, Your help, Your strength, Your love, Your grace,
I cannot find in any other place.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       2/10

God Tends

If God can tend a bird, then why not me?
He knows and counts each hair upon my head;
if He maintains a molecule, then see
how much more He sustains me here instead.

If He loves all His natural world so well,
then more someone who'll love Him in return,
for He knows in eternity we'll dwell,
and more for those who’ll always for Him yearn.

God loves me more than all the universe,
if He did not, my future would be grim,
for me to spurn His love, what could be worse?
The only thing that stops me is my whim.

It’s easy, Lord, to see Your word is true,
if I just put my faith and trust in You.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       4/10