Christ into Christ

Christ into Christ--that is the Eucharist,
to grow like Him so I can be Him too,
the more I'm Him, the less Him I'll resist,
let me, O God, be like Him through and through.

Each molecule of His turns into mine,
each drop of blood of His flows in my veins,
His body adds to human the divine,
more than His image now my body gains.

"Who eats My flesh and drinks My blood," He said,
"I will abide in them and they in Me,"
and promised He would raise me from the dead,
to live with Him for all eternity.

I take His message whole, not just in part,
His flesh, my food, I hold with all my heart.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       4/10

Shamrock God

O Lord, my Shamrock God, I love You so,
O Lord, my Irish clover Trinity,
if You were true for good St. Patrick's show,
then You are good enough for modern me.

A simple symbol for the simple folk,
You blessed him with success in Ireland,
yet powerful weapon for the faith he spoke
and sword against the superstitions banned.

I doubt if we today could match his force
of courage and persuasiveness and charm,
or faith that bolstered his mighty discourse,
while You protected him from pagan harm.

As You claimed Patrick's ancient Irish sod,
convert our blessed land, O Shamrock God.

                       -- by Pete Voelz         3/05

God's Face, God's Eyes

To look You in the face I am afraid,
to look into Your eyes I cannot wait,
Your face will judge the broken life I’ve made,
Your eyes will heal my soul and seal my fate.

You are my judge and harsh Your punishment,
yet mercy is Your greatest quality,*
my sins You will forgive if I repent,
Your mercy gives me opportunity.

Your face is stern, Your eyes reflect Your soul,
soul full of love, revenge without a trace,
so many times in life I choose my goal,
and use, refuse, accept, reject Your grace.

Let me not lose these opportunities,
let me, O Lord, these loving chances sieze.

* Christ appeared to St. Sr. Faustina and told
her that mercy is His greatest quality.

                       -- by Pete Voelz     5/29/13

Love and Belong

We all want to be loved and to belong,
You made us social, not to be alone,
in unity with others we are strong,
we make new people, Lord, we do not clone.

You put us first into a family,
so small and helpless, we would need much care,
with friends and work we form community,
we can do more than I alone would dare.

You give us church so we can spread Your word,
so we can gather and together pray,
so others we can hear and we be heard,
and have You in our midst a special way.

You give Yourself to us, O Lord, it's true,
so we can love You and belong to You.

                                        -- by Pete Voelz

No Place for Faith

There'd be no place for faith if we knew all,
we need some faith to face the mystery,
how can we see beyond the unknown wall?
No faith, we'd say no "Open sesame!"

Our ignorance precludes a faithless way,
no way we understand eternity,
we don't know how we get things when we pray,
we barely grasp our near reality.

God made us so we cannot know all things,
He wants a little of humility,
for if we knew of every song He sings,
then we would be as much like God as He.

O God, You rule that faith is our true test,
accept my humble faith for my true rest.

Despite My Sin

Despite my sin, O God, I love You still,
on this grim globe some sin always remains,
yet it, though broken, bends before Your will,
o'er fallen world and me, Your love still reigns.

My shameful misery loves company,
I know that all the saints were sinners too,
though joining them does not absolve poor me
nor ease the guilt for all the deeds I rue.

But turning from such thoughts, I see Your cross,
O Christ , Who gave for love of me Your all,
and realize how much a greater loss
t'would be for me to still Your loving call.

Far past my sin and world, I rise above,
reflecting just a bit Your boundless love.

                           -- by Pete Voelz     2/05

Dark Presence

I do not want the bright, I want the dark,
for in the dark, O Lord, You come to me,
soft as a dove and gentle as a lark,
You swoop to touch my soul so lovingly.

You hover in Your own mysterious way,
light as a feather, heavy as a cross,
it’s not all peaches what You have to say,
You throw me for a loop, at times a loss.

But it’s all worth it as Your quiet voice,
consoling, stirring, counseling and true,
 a powerful presence, offers me a choice--
denial and sleep--or faith to follow You.

I reach to hold You, fending off the sleep,
left only with my promises to keep.

              -- by Pete Voelz       5/23/13

Soul Touch

I cannot touch my soul with these mere hands,
yet I touch it and feel its touch all day;
I feel my soul when my mind understands,
it feels me when it sees that I obey.

I feel it when it tells my hand to move,
my soul feels me when I'm about to pray;
there's nothing with my soul I need to prove,
I feel there are few limits to its sway.

It's hard to feel the heart I know is there,
real things oft keep our senses much at bay,
while our full stomach churns we're unaware,
and so we seldom sense our soul at play.

You made my soul great, God, so help it stay
in touch with You and all of me today.

                            -- by Pete Voelz        10/06


 

God's the One

You really are, O God, the only One,
the Maker of the universe--and me,
the One Who’s left when all is said and done,
Creator, Father, Lord and destiny.

You are the loving leader of us all,
when I fall down, it’s You Who lifts me up,
You are the One Who hears me when I call,
and in my need, You overflow my cup.

This life You give is my one chance and test,
a blink between two vast eternities,
Your love for me’s more real than all the rest,
my love for You can force me to my knees.

When I, unworthy, look to my reward,
You really are the only One, O Lord.

                -- by Pete Voelz       5/23/13

Light and Dark

John’s letter says we’re children of the light,
we’re not to walk as children of the dark,
the dark is wrong, the opposite of right,
our choices often black and white--so stark.

God’s kingdom stands for beauty, good and truth,
the city of the world is not God’s way,
the uncomplicated clarity of youth,
when faced with age, sees many shades of grey.

God’s truth’s opposed to all the devil’s lies,
that trick me into doing wrong again,
but that’s opposed by all my prayerful cries,
that bring God’s mercy to forgive my sin.

Culture of Life fights with Culture of Death,
my heaven-hell choice right to my last breath.

-- by Pete Voelz     5/22/13

Think of Us

I think of me when I should think of You,
O God, for are You not Divinity?
What You are really like I have no clue,
except I know You always think of me.

Why do You so? Because Your love is great.
I answer with my sins without much fear;
between myself and You I oscillate,
as You keep me, all undeserving, near.

In our uneven strange relationship,
what's there for me to give from one so small?
I know at some point I must reach the tip,
and with a step of faith surrender all.

O God, let me take Your attentive care,
attend to others, think of You, and share.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       10/06

Charisma God

(Pentecost Meditation)

You, God, are the most charismatic one,
the charisms that we have all come from You,
without You my great gifts amount to none,
but You send down Your Spirit like the dew.

We see charisma in celebrities,
but You, Lord, give Your charisms to us all,
Your voice we all hear in the gentle breeze,
to each Your gifts are like a gentle call.

Our talents Satan wants us not to use,
but You want us our charisms to discern,
I’m free to choose to take them or refuse,
they’re mine to nurture, practice, or to spurn.

Our greatest gifts--to work, to love, to pray,
You help us, Lord, to practice every day.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       5/20/13

What is Worship?

How does one truly worship God as God?
First, one must rid oneself of foolish pride,
open oneself and harbor no facade,
face God in full with nothing more to hide.

Then offer God one's entire life and fate,
confess God's power in all humility,
surrender to His will and consecrate
all of oneself freely and willingly.

How does one know God's will and what to do?
Pray on His Scripture and obey His law,
witness the faith and take God's Word as true,
accept and spread His love in fear and awe.

O God, it's You I worship and adore,
believe in, hope in, love forevermore.

                          -- by Pete Voelz          11/06

God's Ball of Wax

You made the world, the whole big ball of wax,
from out Your heart, this love comes for us all,
and You don’t want us to fall through the cracks,
but with our gift of freedom to stand tall.

You hope that we live up to You somehow,
You give sufficient grace to pass each test,
but we proud broken sinners here and now
do our own thing, we think we know what’s best.

How can we doubt the One Who loves so much,
reject the grace that makes our sins forgiven,
ignore Your voice, Your tenderness, Your touch,
 and wreck our chances to Your endless heaven?

Your loving ball of wax--at least in part--
may it not ever wane, Lord, in my heart.

                    -- by Pete Voelz       5/18/13

What Kind of Fool?

“If you do not become a little child,
you will not have my kingdom,” Jesus said.
Must I be childlike, humble, meek and mild?
I want to be my own strong man instead.

My leader is a Pope who washes feet,
and then he stoops and kisses their feet too;
must I be servant to the poor I meet,
Christ, end up looking like a fool for You?

You said, “Come follow Me, take up your cross,”
for love of me, You let them strike Your face;
O Lord, my cross seems more an albatross,
not like it’s “light and sweet” and full of grace.

A child, a fool, a cross, God, should I be
a Christian when it takes so much of me?

                    -- by Pete Voelz       5/17/13

God's Center

I am the center of the universe,
God's lazer love rests on me constantly,
I see no way I can Him reimburse,
unworthy I, for all He's given me.

Among the galaxies, I am the star,
no solar jewel can match my destiny,
greater am I than all the skies there are,
all this will pass except my heaven to be.

Why love me best of all that thrills in space?
Like faith and fear, my love for God is free,
He gives me power to take or leave His grace,
to love Him back now and eternally.

Let me, Lord, be filled with humility,
Your grateful guest in this great mystery.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       4/08

Empty to Full

My empty me is glad You, Lord, are full,
we know a thing can’t give what it has not,
the fullness of the world’s a miracle,
by nature You just give what You have got.

I’m naturally me, and yet I sometimes feel
it’s by some miracle that I’m full too,
full of You gifts, O Lord, that make me real,
and empty me can be so full of You.

You made the world ex nihilo and me,
and then You filled us both with all Your riches,
You made me great and then You made me free,
free to get proud and too big for my britches.

Let me not be so bad I’m in Your face,
but look to You to fill me full of grace.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       5/15/13

Truly Super

The superheroes in our culture run
amok among us normal heroes here,
but truth is better than our fiction fun,
for superheroes cannot fix our fear.

But there’s one superhero Who is real,
exciting with His supernatural powers,
Who truly cares about the pain we feel,
and for our fun creates a million flowers.

For sure we need His supernatural care
to conquer Satan, the archvillain true,
God gives us superpowerful grace and prayer
so we can be His superheroes too.

Through superaction love I choose for free,
Lord, lend more supernatural power to me.

                          -- by Pete Voelz       5/14/13

For Judgment Day

So who will stand with me on Judgment Day?
The parents that I honored in my life,
my brother, sister, children from my play,
the one who's always stood with me, my wife?

My closest friends, will they step up for me,
The ones I loved, the ones I left in tears,
the students that I judged, where will they be,
the people on my path down through the years?

Was Christ in all of these I loved and knew,
did I feed most myself or feed them all,
and Christ in needy strangers I helped too,
will He step up to help me when I call?

With Mary and my patron saints, I pray,
stand by me, faithful Lord, on Judgment Day.

                        -- by Pete Voelz        6/07

Meeting Karen

You are vast as the sea at twilight,
novel as a child just met,
expectant as a new day dawning,
I do not know you yet.

Like coming up over a mountain,
struck by a breathless view,
discovering, yet thinking still--
I do not know you.

Anticipating everything better,
like spring after the snow,
yet wondering what it's all about,
I do not know.

Awakening in me new desires
and old dreams I forgot,
yet know for sure what will come--
I do not.

Admiring so many things I learn,
exploring the world of you,
caring a little, hoping a lot--
I do.

Losing myself in this maze,
like a star lost in the sky,
wondering if you too discover as
I.

     -- by Pete Voelz     April, 1971

(the week after we met, four
months before we married)

Happy Mother’s Day

Open My Heart

Let me knock down all obstacles to You,
for can I have an open heart in part?
How do I know my openness is true,
how can I have a truly open heart?

Open--my heart must be to let You in,
but what if I keep fences in the way,
mostly offenses that amount to sin?
And once in, I must fight to have You stay.

One obstacle is that I am afraid
I’ll let You in too much and lose control,
for I forget my mind and heart You made,
I want to give what they make up--my soul.

True openness means my heart is free of
the obstacles that would fence out Your love.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       5/10/13

Your Ave

I pray “Hail Mary” and, O Mary, when
your hear these words, you feel a surge of pleasure
to listen to the angel’s song again,
and know once more your memorable joy full measure.

It is as if there’s only you and I,
who share the import of sweet Gabriel’s voice,
then gaze in wonder at the azure sky,
after your “fiat” to your awesome choice.

How privileged I to call you “full of grace,”
how honored, to say with you is the Lord,
in this prayer just we two are face-to-face,
and with my words you’re anything but bored.

As I relive the moment in my mind,
from heaven you bend to see our souls combined.

                                        -- by Pete Voelz       5/9/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Your Presence

The book I need to read is face-to-face,
the space I want for mine is here and now,
the tube I play for you is my embrace,
my IM kiss I save to grace your brow.

The transitory things that soon have passed,
the endless games for mere frivolity,
the trivia and fun that will not last,
there they all are to keep you far from me.

The twitter I can hear is for the birds,
the cells I care about are all your own,
my text comes to your ear in whispered words,
my social nets would not leave you alone.

Instead of tech, your face I'd love to touch,
in person you, is that asking too much?

                      -- by Pete Voelz       9/10

Prayer Space

I find that I must make some space to pray,
I’m busy, my time’s at a premium,
besides I often don’t know what to say,
except “Our Father” and “Thy Kingdom come.”

If I can’t find time, I have to take time,
and prayer must be more than just words by rote,
it’s conversation with Someone sublime,
when sometimes words get stuck within my throat.

Who seeks someone to see inside their soul?
And to face God, I have to first face me,
to pray well I must give God some control,
He might make me review my destiny.

It may not be the space of time I need,
but power for my soul I can’t concede.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       5/8/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Feel for God

O God, You are so very far away,
in thought and prayer, how do we come to grips?
I can but glimpse Your features while I pray,
I barely touch You with my fingertips.

I meet You but You're such a mystery,
I know You but I do not understand,
Though far, I find You are still close to me,
when I'm in need, I sense You take my hand.

In dark of night You're closest to me, yet
I'm filled with light when You give me Your grace,
You want to visit closer if I let
You in my heart to feel Your warm embrace.

I love You best when we have more than kissed,
as I receive You, Lord, in Eucharist.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       2/09
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Choice of Love

I love because God shared His love with me,
I live because with me His life He shares,
without His love and life I would not be,
reason enough for me to say my prayers.

Since God is love, all true love comes from Him,
though we can feel love Satan twists his way,
our chances with his kind of love are slim,
we can’t let love be ruled by sinful sway.

I think I am an individual soul,
and since I’m free, my destiny is mine,
and yet God’s Providence is in control,
my destiny is tied to the divine.

You and the devil offer me a choice,
and I am free, Lord, to tune out Your voice.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       5/6/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

God's Sea

I stick my toe into God's sea a bit,
I hesitate, for is it really there?
I look and cannot see the end of it,
then feel immersed, I'm in it everywhere.

I must be pushed again to try my toe,
distractions pull me far from every side,
yet sure I am there's nowhere else to go,
I know this flood leaves me no place to hide.

I dip a toe because I fear the sea,
I don't want to leave so much fun behind,
yet His sweet grace does His great work in me,
and I'm compelled to follow One so kind.

I really don't know, God, what else to do,
but to dive in and swim away with You.

                    -- by Pete Voelz           1/07
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Love's Infinite Plus

God’s love is infinite, yet there is more,
God’s not the only lover that can be,
infinity is not what love is for:
to nurture love in all whose love is free.

God works so hard to grow His love in us,
He can’t attract our love if it’s not there,
He knows that our eternal happiness
depends on our love showing that we care.

Love is not love unless it cares for others,
love is our deeds or love does not exist,
love shared with care makes all sisters and brothers,
as Christ shares all His love in Eucharist.

As Eucharist multiplies an infinite Christ,
so infinite love grows when it’s sacrificed.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       5/4/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

No End to Grace

O God, what are the limits of Your grace?
Is not Your grace for me unlimited?
Does not the Hound of Heaven always chase
my soul for which Your Sacred Heart has bled?

And yet Your masterplan has made me free
to turn my back on You and to resist
Your grace, Your law, Your own divine decree
of love from Him I slap though blest and kissed.

Yet I detect grace comes in many ways--
in strength, in mercy, inspiration true,
it zaps, explodes, it whispers, zigzags, stays,
chastizes me and gently draws to You.

From ambush, God, despite my stubborn pride,
Your grace, amazing, worms its way inside.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       1/08

God First

“I am the king’s good servant, but God’s first.”
The last words of the great St. Thomas More
tell us our cultural values are reversed,
and show us what we should be standing for.

Augustine’s “City of God” spells out the choice,
his worldy city displays old Satan‘s sway,
we serve God’s laws and listen to His voice,
or give in to that liar’s worldly way.

The Church stands as a countercultural force,
as Jesus says, it speaks for Him on earth,
of all good things we have, God is the source,
His Church defines what everything is worth

My candid conscience cannot run and hide
from what You and Your Church, O Lord, decide.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       5/2/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Who I Am

The only thing I know is who I am,
loved in God's mind before all time began,
destined forever to adore the Lamb
to mesh my precious freedom with God's plan.

I cannot help but feel so very small
for one who has so great a destiny,
and yet I seem to hear so clear a call,
else why would God be bothered making me?

All through His book He talks to me with care,
His passion aimed to save my wretched soul,
His lovely world made just for me to share,
His Church He formed to help me reach my goal.

O God, through all of this You've kindly smiled
on who I truly am, Your lucky child.

                             -- by Pete Voelz      10/07