Why Love Christ

O Christ, why do I think I love You so?
Is it Your miracles that I admire,
 is it the ones You do for me I know,
or ones You work in hearts that You inspire?

Is it that You respond to all my prayer,
that You are willing to forgive my sin,
Your spiritual power also shows You care,
Your miracles in both ways show You’ll win?

Am I impressed, Christ, from Your Trinity,
You flood me with Your mercy, infinite love,
You suffered, died, and conquered death for me,
I’m grateful thus for all of the above?

O Christ, besides all that for me You do,
You are my God, so truly I love You.

                -- by Pete Voelz       10/29/12

God's Happy Thought

God comes to me--is that a happy thought?
There’s no surprise--He’s come to me before--
He once created me--so I’ve been taught,
and He loves and sustains me to the core.

I’m happy that His love I can’t resist,
but happier He comes to me in full,
His fullness in His happy Eucharist
is His amazing awesome miracle.

He hosts me with His Body and His Blood,
He guests me His soul and divinity,
with His great grace and strength my soul He floods,
with power He works His miracles in me.

O happy thought, Lord, turned to happy deed,
You heal this broken oft-unhappy reed.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       10/30/12

Miracle Prayers

The answers to our prayers are miracles,
albiet little miracles at best,
a subtle normalcy that God annuls
or small creative change at His request.
 
For most of them God doesn't override
the intricate design of nature's law,
as mastermind and providential guide,
He speaks and all of nature bides in awe.

Why does my prayer thus make God so respond,
my great God Father putting in the fix,
could He but be of me so really fond,
engaging in celestial politics?

However done, of them I am aware,
and grateful for the miracle of prayer.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      12/04

Attentive God

Who is this God Who's at my beck and call?
I can't see Him and yet I know He's there,
I sense His voice but don't hear Him at all,
though in no place, He hovers everywhere.

Him I touch not, yet somehow I can feel
His constant presence and concern inside,
invisible yet spiritually He's real,
His gentle pressure serving as a guide.

I feel much better when I go His way,
He shows me, then I feel bad when I balk,
others point out I feel the same as they,
it's nice He is the topic of our talk.

O God, Who's so attentive, loving, true,
help me give more attentiveness to You.

-- by Pete Voelz         11/05

God's Tug of War

If God is Love, what means does He use most
to work His way with us about this Love?
And in the end, who will most likely boast
to win this war between below-above?

Before our eyes of faith a tug of war
is waged within the world and in our hearts,
and we decide which side we’re working for--
our angels or their demon counterparts.

Of course, this war Almighty God will win,
His version of this Love triumph at last,
the devil’s false facade of Love as sin,
will lose, and like all else be but the past.

God uses grace to draw us to His way,
once graced by Love, we will forever stay.

               -- by Pete Voelz       9/10/12

Faith in Prayer

O God, I put my faith in You and prayer,
but I doubt sometimes if my faith's well placed,
when foes oppose me seeming everywhere
and I feel my prayer strategy's outpaced.

I must work as if all depends on me,
I pray as if it all depends on You;*
I trust in You this strategy will be
the one that works to make my work come true.

Yet I know life's ambiguous at best,
in this world I sense sometimes I must fail,
I pray You, God, will help me stand the  test,
and prove that prayer will rescue me so frail.

O God, I do believe despite the tears
through prayer You help the one who perseveres.

* St. Augustine

                                -- by Pete Voelz            9/05

Great Kind God

Can God Who fixed the universe so fine,
exploding infinite space so fast so far,
forget this tiny beggarly heart of mine,
destined for heaven, far greater than a star?

Would God Who made each particle so small,
and keeps a million molecules in mind,
ignore the most important part of all,
and plan to treat this little man unkind?

Shall God remember not this human soul,
shaped in His image true right from the start,
divine spark formed for an eternal goal,
His Godly life and highest work of art?

This personal, loving God gives me such care
that I know He, dear friend, is truly there.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       5/04

Make Up God

O God, why do I feel I’ve let You down,
less for my bad than what I haven’t done?
What little I have done to win the crown!
Yet If I put my trust in You, I’ve won.

Less what I do, more for my attitude,
You lead me, Lord, on to Your victory;
more for my love, my praise and gratitude,
my imperfections You make up for me.

This fallen world, this broken servant, I,
both make me stumble in my foolish race;
my fears and flaws that make me want to cry,
You make up for with Your most awesome grace.

“I make up for no fool, be not afraid,
but for,” You say, “this precious jewel I made.”

                         -- by Pete Voelz       10/24/12

Same God Opposite

God’s voice is thunder and a whispering breeze,
He’s loud to say we can’t escape Him here,
but we must listen, busy or at ease,
to understand His quiet message clear.

God hurts sometimes, but with a loving pain,
He pushes, pulls us, yanks us, gives a shove,
with suffering He tests us to our gain,
for even when He hurts us, He is love.

God’s far away, but asks if He can dwell
inside of us as deep as deep can be,
He offers us a heaven or a hell,
we choose from here to His eternity.

In voice, in hurt, inside us, near or far,
O God of love, it’s always Love You are.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       10/22/12

Selfish Love

Love’s selfish when I think, since God is love,
I will love more so I’ll be more like God,
for true love’s always blest by heaven above,
and to be true, love cannot be facade.

Love’s most unselfish when we put God first,
God lives in all so we help all in need,
not to love God in others is the worst,
like Good Samaritans, we love by deed.

God orders us to love, we must obey,
to face Him first, then see Him in their face,
to be unselfish with them that I pray,
so He will be more generous with His grace.

I’ll be unselfish, Lord, with them and You,
if selfish I share more in Your love too.

                            -- by Pete Voelz      1/11

Sinner or Saint

What’s different in a sinner from a saint--
that one ends up in hell, the other heaven?
To know that I’m a sinner makes me faint,
to turn to God, I get my sins forgiven.

St. Bernadette said who a sinner is,
not one who sins, but one who loves to sin;
we all fail, yet who hates the sin that’s his
is saintly trying not to sin again.

The saint is one who’s raised good and believes,
who finds his faith and sacraments and grace,
who opens up his heart and so receives
the grace to risk to look Christ in the face.

God offers grace to all, but I must dare
to use God’s grace in faith, good works and prayer.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       10/16/12

How Long, How Care

How long did it take You to make the sun?
It must have taken long to make a tree,
a wren, a rose, to make the river run;
how long You spun the soul of one like me.

How much care did You take to make the moon?
How much to program time and gravity?
How much to craft a hazy afternoon?
How much attune a lazy loon like me?

And how much care You put into us two,
You thought of us before there was a there,
You loved me long before I ever knew,
how slow I came to know how much You care.

It did not take You long in making me,
this one You love from-to eternity.

                      -- by Pete Voelz        12/08

God in the Void

I think of everything but God
from ant to asteroid,
and then I think of God, how odd
to stare into the void.

For if, O God, I try to see
You there beyond a star,
much further than infinity,
I know You really are.

And if I look at all of space,
so far beyond the sky,
I still can't recognize Your face
or see the reason why.

For us God made the universe,
it wasn't on a whim,
He hopes we use it in reverse
to praise and worship Him.

O God, as far away You are,
You still are close to me,
more than my world or any star,
You shape my destiny.

You are the God that I adore,
together or apart,
I want to love You ever more
and give You my heart.

God is a million miles away,
my closest caring Friend,
Who'll be tomorrow as today
a partner to the end.

     -- by Pete Voelz      8/08

Turning God's Stones

With You I want to leave no stone unturned
to know You, love You, praise You in a poem,
to leave no part, O Lord, of You unlearned,
so all of You will find in me a home.

How can I know even a part of You,
unless to me Yourself You first reveal?
How can I know if anything is true
about You or’s just something that I feel?

I see You some in nature, Scripture, Church,
inside myself, in people who are near,
there’s so much more of You I need to search,
like open up my heart right now, right here.

Let me, God, leave no inspiration spurned,
so I’ll leave not one stone of You unturned.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       10/17/12

Good Hurt

I take my hurt and offer it to Thee,
all worries, pain and suffering I feel,
O God, Who offered all Your hurt for me,
so both my body and my soul can heal.

I could just gripe and suffer and complain,
or for my sins my hurt I can embrace,
for You're especially with me in my pain,
Who gives me hurt gives me His greater grace.

You died for me and set the standard high,
You ask me now Your suffering to share,
if I accept, and for You hurt and die,
You'll give me heaven, my gift helps bring me there.

I pray You, Jesus, bless the hurt I'm due,
for offered up, it leads me close to You.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       7/09

Our Best Miracles

Christ proved He’s God with each great miracle,
but those are just the miracles we can see,
His unseen signs are greater than the physical,
to heal a soul lasts for eternity.

Christ’s miracles indeed are wonderful,
but spiritual ones are wondrous as can be,
God knows that we admire the sensible,
but mending souls to save them is the key.

When my prayer heals a soul, it’s beautiful,
more than my body, I hope Christ cures me,
we’re glad they save lives at the hospital,
but we can save eternal lives for free.

How prayer saves souls, Lord, is a mystery,
help us do our best miracles spiritually.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       10/15/12

(I dedicate this poem today to my friend Mary Ann Pearman.)

God Sick of Me?

Does Christ get sick of me because I ask
too much from Him Who’s given me so much?
I seek His help whenever I have a task,
whose sure success somehow I cannot touch.

I knock on Jesus’s door repeatedly
because He said, “Ask and you shall receive,
seek and you’ll find,” He has encouraged me,
“Knock and it shall be opened,” I believe.

“I am the way, the truth, the life,” He said,
and too, “My Kingdom’s like a mustard seed,”
that soon into a giant bush will spread,
as my small prayer will soon fill up my need.

O Christ, You won’t get sick of me, it’s true,
so long I don’t get sick of asking You.

                     -- by Pete Voelz     10/9/12

God's Leader

God wants to make a leader out of me,
He’s asking me to be a true disciple,
He wants to bring my eyes of faith to see,
not just to hear His words, but them recycle.

God pours His wine into my wineskin new,
He offers me His own amazing grace,
He sends His Spirit to guide me what to do,
He runs with me to help me lead the race.

Christ teaches me and tells me how to pray,
He sends me out to make a miracle,
He promises to prompt me what to say,
to work in souls some wonders spiritual.

You show example’s the best way that leads,
so childlike, Lord, I follow planting seeds.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       10/13/12

Foursquare God

The whole of life with God comes down foursquare,
first there is God, and second there is me,
third, that for me God’s love is always there,
the fourth is hard--my love for God is free.

God is a given, for He created all,
and He made me so I’m a given too,
as God loves all, He loves me though I’m small,
but me love God--how do I know I do?

God orders me to love Him so I must,
to love Him means that I obey His law,
and it will pay to love the God I trust,
how can’t I love the God I hold in awe?

The fourth may be the hardest, but I choose
to love God free, or the first three I lose.

                 -- by Pete Voelz       10/12/12

Intrusive God

Of several billion people, only I
look outward while they all are looking in,
with my eyes only I can see the sky,
there’s only one myself under my skin.

The center of the universe is me,
‘til there intrudes a power--almost a curse,
intrusive God arrives intrusively,
unsettling my own comfortable universe.

I know He comes with great intrusive love,
but why on my routines must He intrude?
God wants me with forever Him above,
where I’ll feel overwhelming gratitude.

Should I reject You, all Your love and grace,
just ‘cause, intrusive God, You’re in my face?

                 -- by Pete Voelz       10/10/12

God Guest

I want You, God, for You my heart is restless,
more than just having Your Spirit inside of me,
without You really here, my soul seems guestless--
“My heart is restless ‘til it rests in Thee.”*

I don’t think I could take Almighty God,
despite my Father with His infinite love,
and I don’t think it’s anything but odd
to bide His Spirit looking like a dove.

No, Jesus, it is You I can’t resist,
the human You Who looks like me the most,
if You can’t show that now, Your Eucharist
can substitute, not as my guest, but host.

O personal Christ, both physical and spiritual,
You bless me with this daily miracle.

*St. Augustine

                     -- by Pete Voelz       10/10/12

Blind Flowers

The sinner sees the snowbell like the saint,
the Christian and the pagan share the sage,
all children touch the painted daisy's paint,
all people love azaleas in old age.

The shell-flower shows its cups to everyone,
the sun rose rises sweetly to all eyes,
and none would spoil the featherfoil's fun,
or shun a tan as sunflowers scan the skies.

Each one can taste the bunchberry dogwood's beauty,
we all recall the cherry laurel's charm,
as we know well, the sneezeweed's never snooty,
and bluebell's sound us equal their alarm.

Do we know better than the innocent flowers
who'll rise or fall with all our clever powers?

                        -- by Pete Voelz           4/05

Graceful Poems

A poem is just a cheaper kind of prayer,
composed with grace, it may not have much grace,
though it be full of grace with grace to spare,
for my soul's grace no one but God can trace.

Grace does not come in beauty, beat or rhyme,
but for a sigh within a soul sincere,
the more I give to God my work and time,
the more he pours His grace upon me here.

My prayer is words, true, drenched with faith and love,
meant for, sent to an audience of One,
Who has the power to send a showering of
His saving and amazing graceful Son.

O God, I pray give grace today to me
for graceful prayers posing as poetry.

                             -- by Pete Voelz        11/08

Fearing Death

Do I fear death because it is the end,
the night that stops the pleasure of my day,
the last of loving family, loyal friend,
the final going, much to my dismay?

Do I fear death because there might be pain,
the suffering that accompanies the leaving,
the discomfort that goes against the grain,
the cost, the mess, the burden to the grieving?

Do I fear death because my sins still haunt me,
the punishment I haven't paid yet here,
facing some cruel devil who'll taunt me,
my lack of faith that foils forever fear?

Yet unlike fear, O Lord, my faith is true:
death brings eternal happiness with You.

                        -- by Pete Voelz           7/09

Heart to Heart

"Cor ad cor loquitur," John Newman wrote,
this is our best relationship with Christ,
joined at the heart to One Who seems remote,
to us by words the Word of God enticed.
 
Christ gave Himself to us in Eucharist,
so in all ways He could stay with us here,
in food and love that we could not resist,
Whom we, Isaiah-like, delight to fear.

Heart speaks to heart, but not in words alone,
there is a power that motivates our love,
God gives to love a language all its own,
to bring us near the One we're thinking of.

O Jesus, come and help me humbly start
to speak to You in our own heart-to-heart.

                          -- by Pete Voelz         8/07

Humble God

What is this love except obedience?
Obedience takes great humility,
no more of this just sitting on the fence,
we freely stand with Him Who made us free.

And what do we obey but His commands?
We trust the One Who’s perfect in His trust,
He holds us in the hollow of His hands,
we freely choose to follow what we must.

His first and greatest order is to love,
for God is love, and we who love, obey,
when we love, we obey Who reigns above,
in loving God, there are no shades of gray.

Lord, help me, weak in love, to so love You,
I need not Your command, to love You true.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       10/5/12

The Gap of God

The gap between God’s heaven and my soul
is only bridged by His tremendous love,
how can I make God’s Paradise my goal,
to lift, unworthy I, my eyes above?

My sins are Scarlet, said Isaiah once,
they cause a great celestial gap to grow,
lept only by His Hound of Heaven who hunts
with mercy great so they’ll no longer show.

How perfect all appear in Paradise,
the problem is to get from here to there,
though no perfection’s clear before our eyes,
a perfect God lurks near me everywhere.

Your presence, mercy, love, Lord, fill the gap,
that’s gone when You close hold me on Your lap.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       10/4/12

Stronger than God

God wrestles with the devil in my heart,
and I’m there too, alas, the referee;
God bets on me, but I must do my part,
I choose who wins; for this, God made me free.

God battles with the devil for my soul,
the combat is as bloody as can be;
God’s mighty, but, alas, I’m in control,
I do decide at last my destiny.

God struggles in my conscience, just we two,
we’re face to face, there’s no place I can flee;
He’s on my side, but I choose what to do,
though He wars fierce, the outcome’s up to me.

Lord, though You’re strong, my freedom’s stronger yet,
for I must finally fight to win the bet.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       10/3/12

Tricky God

An infinite God has possibilities--
endess to choose, a giant bag of tricks,
the millions with their million destinies,
His time and power to throw into the mix.

A crafty God, see what He’s done already--
billions of stars, and He has just begun,
it’s clear He can’t be charged with being petty,
how can He care for such a little one?

Tricks, games and foolishness He’s not above,
for pain and death and hate He has left space,
the God of mystery answers all with love,
His friendship, favor, strength summed up in grace.

O Lord, though small as all the world can see,
how fortunate Your favor falls on me.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       10/2/12

Soul Count

I'd like to have a thousand souls in tow
when I shall cross the finish line at last,
some strangers I've encountered, some I know,
from all that I have prayed for in the past.

If not, at least a hundred I have met,
whom I have loved and cared for in my wake,
to all who've cared for me I am in debt,
I hope the ones who've loved me I can take.

If I could bring but ten or so to You,
my wife and parents, sister, brother, please,
my son and daughter and their children too,
a few friends, loved ones and their families.

Actually, Lord, for all eternity,
I would be glad if You saved little me.

                      -- by Pete Voelz         8/10