Though Flowers Fade

The rhododendrons wither in the sun,
as children’s prayers dance to eternal tunes,
hibiscus close and fall when day is done,
love lasts for good in heaven’s honeymoons.

The crocus blooms of early spring soon die,
God’s Word will just go on and on and on,
though kinnikinnick berries multiply,
their blossoms leave, our hope is never gone.

If dwarf brunfelsia last in summertime,
called “yesterday-today-tomorrow” too,
their violet florets wilt beyond their prime,
while those of paradise spring ever new.

Sweet transient flowers fade on sullen earth,
but God’s good buds will always see rebirth.

                       -- by Pete Voelz      10/04
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Up to Me

If I do good, O God, it’s up to me,
though You have given me everything I’ve got,
and if I sin, I sin because I’m free,
for good or bad, You see, I’m free a lot.

It’s like You give me all, then take it back,
then leave me free to take it all again
and choose to take the things I think I lack,
and then I’m free to also choose to sin.

 This freedom’s mine to use or to abuse,
responsibility comes with this great power,
to love You, Lord, or love You not, I choose,
my choice of faith allows Your grace to flower.

Though, Lord, Your might leaves so much up to You,
my destiny is up to me, ‘tis true.

                              by Pete Voelz       8/27/13

Tear Prayers

God takes my tears and turns them into prayers,
the tears that take and tear my heart apart,
for it is God Who knows and shares my cares,
and shows a tear is where a prayer can start.

God sees my wounds that only He can heal,
but He wants me to turn to Him in tears,
the tears that prove my turn to Him is real,
shed by my sorrow and my desperate fears.

God wants my tears, my prayers, my heart and soul,
He wants to see me win my earthly race,
and to defeat the sins that take such toll,
to make my worldly grace eternal grace.

To You, O Christ, Who wept for me down here,
I’ll give my soul that starts out with a tear.

(Inspired by the words of St. Ambrose to St. Monica
about her son St. Augustine before his conversion:
“It is impossible for the son of such tears to perish.”)

                               by Pete Voelz       8/29/13

Spirit War

The armor of my faith I always wear
to wage the war of spirituality,
I hoist a shield of hope, a sword of prayer,
and shoot love arrows at my enemy.

In spiritual war some foes remain unseen,
I have to keep my guard up all the  time,
my offered pains and fasting keep me lean,
with frequent sacraments I stay in prime.

Amidst temptation's charge I often fall,
my sainted allies help me when I'm weak,
and when my sins have pushed me to the wall,
Christ comes and lifts me to a winning streak.

May God me guard until the battles cease
and grant me mercifully His final peace.

                       -- by Pete Voelz         4/05

God's Magnets

God makes us all like magnets in a way,
designed to be attracted to our race,
no matter what some animals display,
we're charmed most by another human face.

Some think compassion is our greatest trait,
why do we lend a child such empathy?
There is a call to which we all relate,
so there but for God's grace galore is me.

God found a way to fuse us to His soul,
He puts in us a spark of His, divine,
His like and image help to make us whole,
I do God's will, but, free, I make it mine.

O God, just as I'm magnetized to Thee,
all others can be drawn to Thee in me.

                  -- by Pete Voelz         7/07

Painful prayer

(Inspired by some thoughts of St. Padre Pio)

God cannot help surrendering to me
when I give Him my suffering with prayer,
He welcomes them and sees my misery,
in both my pain and prayer He wants to share.

God’s power triumphs over everything,
yet humble prayer and pain He lets prevail,
they both disarm Him, these sweet gifts I bring,
in conquering mighty God, they do not fail.

To God there’s nothing that’s impossible,
yet He finds these impossible to resist,
like some divine and loving miracle,
God bows to prayerful pain when I persist.

What power You give me, Lord, when I combine
Your humble prayer and suffering with mine.

                             by Pete Voelz      8/26/13

Reel God

You reel me in, O God, by fits and starts,
and inch by inch with block and tackle You reel,
by hook or crook You fiercely hook our hearts,
You're in our craw no matter how we feel.

More than a hound of heaven, You fisherman,
You jerk Your line and I end up the jerk.
by night and day You fight until You've won,
Your hook, Your reel, Your fish, You make it work.

My struggling only makes Your reeling hurt,
You seem to pay no heed to pain I'm in,
You only care our hardcore hearts convert,
why can't we see that when You win we win?

OK, O God, go reel however You wish,
to make this sorry soul a happy fish.

                    -- by Pete Voelz     8/10
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Best Friends

God’s my best friend, especially Jesus is,
He doesn’t take, He just knows how to give,
and so He gives me everything that’s His,
His love and life show how to love and live.

He took my littleness and came down here,
He taught by His example and His pain,
He gave up heaven so me he could be near,
my sinful weakness He did not disdain.

How He would do this is a mystery--
why leave His perfect happy home above,
except He saw the worth of little me,
and being love, desired to share His love.

O Best Friend Christ, as this I know is true,
I yearn in turn to be best friends with You.

                    by Pete Voelz       8/24/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Sweet Song

I hear the sweet song of the bird at dawn,
reminding me to rise and seize the day;
the chirping melody goes on and on
while lazily I drowse the time away.

Time's limits leave me little choice to make,
I am not free to burst the bonds of hours;
no minutes slow to wait for me to wake,
time frames when I can exercise my powers.

Have I some deadline forcing me to move?
Am I the slave to other people's words?
Must I produce--what have I got to prove?
Why not smell roses, just enjoy the birds?

But I have my own sweet song still to sing,
so I must rise now, dear bird, and take wing.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       4/04
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Sufficient Prayer

What blocks me from how God wants me to be?
What obstacles keep getting in my way?
Already God's prepared the path for me,
already made me ready for today.

My mind's been darkened by original sin,
which too has weakened my most natural will,
my past mistakes have cast the state I'm in,
my ignorance and errors with me still.

God has His plans for me and I have mine,
His seem to ask more work and sacrifice,
I faintly see His way but can decline,
it always seems He asks a steeper price.

O God, You always give sufficient grace,
help me to put sufficient prayer in place.

-- by Pete Voelz       1/06

Solid God

God’s solid, He’s more solid than the earth,
more than hard cement, more than a block of steel,
He made the fire that tests a metal’s worth,
He wants our solid faith, not how we feel.

Reliable God draws up the sun’s sweet rays
to stretch their rosy fingers every dawn,
and at the end of our dependable days,
God gets another glorious sunset drawn.

Is anything more immovable than a star?
Is any star more solid than the sun?
A little  faith what little time we are
is all He wants when all is said and done.

My soild faith I freely give to You,
Lord, from my soul reliable and true.

                                 Pete Voelz
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

My Gold Stash

I know, O God, where all the gold is stashed,
not in some billions stored up in the banks,
not where the stars and athletes’ checks are cashed,
not in an army’s rifles, planes and tanks.

These only last a moment and they’re gone,
I want a bank account that thieves can’t steal,
a place my checks forever can be drawn,
where moth won’t eat, nor rust corrode for real.

I’m told this golden bank’s in heaven someplace,
yet there is where I only bank in part,
the gold I store above is God’s good grace,
but here I treasure Jesus in my heart.

The chest I stash my gold that’s strong and true
is in my heart full, Lord, of love with You.

by Pete Voelz 8/20/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

I Am So Small

I am so small when I go to the mall--
so many people, just like in New York--
I stand and stare, the buildings are so tall,
the fancy people there, and me the dork.

Travel abroad--the cities are so full,
the airplane clouds, afraid I’m gonna fall,
I check the globe, huge as a miracle,
and in the sky the stars are like a wall.

I stand before You, God, I am sooo small,
You are so vast, and then You touch my face,
Your love fills me, then I’m not small at all,
You make me big--to fit Your big embrace.

My busy time on earth--immense to me,
until You show me all eternity.

                   -- by Pete Voelz      8/19/13

Invisible Real

In this, our life, no angel can be seen,
God and His legions stay invisible,
and yet His interest in each person’s keen,
His spiritual Providence so powerful.

Paul sees a “cloud of witnesses” around
us, unseen here to witness us, and serve
as witnesses to faith, and always bound
by love to pray for us and steel our nerve.

On earth we are God’s voice, His hands and feet,
He does not get directly in our face;
to make God visible to all we meet,
He makes us visible agents of His grace.

Let not my faith be weak since I can’t see
You, Lord, and all Your power surrounding me.

                           -- by Pete Voelz     8/18/13

Giving Up

Sometimes, O God, I feel like giving up,
the world’s so powerful, the devil too,
it’s not I lack life’s pleasures in my cup,
but that I don’t feel strength enough from You.

“Where is your faith?” I hear You say to me,
“Read my Word, hope, keep praying, persevere,
trust Me, someday you’ll share My victory,
be not afraid, My Holy Spirit’s here.

“Have you reached out to others in their stress?
Just feed one mouth, not the whole human race,
just share My love, some sinner I will bless,
just look, and see Me there in someone’s face.

“Beyond yourself I now ask you to rise,
go wipe a tear from some sad child’s eyes.”

                         -- by Pete Voelz       8/15/13

Best Power

My greatest power is sex, or so I thought,
‘til I remembered my great liberty,
I’m free to choose to do the things I ought,
my greatest power is God made me so free.

God did not make me free to do what’s wrong,
instead my freedom‘s here to do what’s right,
my exercise of good will make me strong,
to keep from being captured by the night.

Sex is great fun but with that power here
we co-create with God His life anew,
and take responsibility without fear
to raise a child free and responsible too.

Great power, great fun aren’t free, but self-control--
not use my power--is best to free my soul.

-- by Pete Voelz      8/12/13

Blest Wrist

My broken wrist has been a blessing true,
I exercise my folded fingers where
I am reminded how I fold them too
to physically express my soul at prayer.

My wrist some ways is like my broken soul,
how long it takes both body and soul to heal,
how healthy wrist will make my body whole,
how whole again my healthy soul will feel.

The X-rays show my hand so intricate,
and lets me view my vulnerability,
how much God weaves my body well, and yet
how even more He tends the soul of me.

My wrist tells me of blessings and of pain,
how I need both if I’m to heaven gain.

                 -- by Pete Voelz      8/13/13

Her Assumption

O Mary, what a trip you made that day,
I wish I could have gone along for the ride,
to race through sky and space your heavenward way,
and share a spiritual journey at your side.

Immaculately conceived and full of grace,
Oh, simple, humble maid in Nazareth,
conversant with an angel face-to-face,
you're unlike us in maybe cheating death.

As Theotokos bearer of the Lord,
Oh Virgin Mom who raised a Godly Son,
your heart pierced by a seventh sorrowful sword,
as losing your dead crucified Boy, you won.

It would be great to go along for the ride,
if I could skip the times you almost died.

                    -- by Pete Voelz      2003

One with God

My soul and God are one in their demands,
they both aim for my near eternity,
time now to gather up the messy strands,
the checkered past of old imposter me.

God’s good to grant me time to set things square,
to make up for the folly of my youth,
time for the give and take with God in prayer,
to focus on Him in my search for truth.*

No matter what, I won’t throw in the towel,
I must hold to what’s higher than my whim,
the enemy’s growling louder on the prowl,
I look to God and put my faith in Him.

I won’t give in to fatalistic choice,
allow me, Lord, to stay one with Your voice.

* St. Augustine’s sermons show fewer classical
allusions and more Scripture as he aged.
And then there’s St. Justin’s famous dream.

                   -- by Pete Voelz      8/8/13

From Here

Why did God make me? First, that I should know
Him and His spiritual life He gives me free,
next to serve Him and His wherever I go,
then on to heaven from here to eternity.

God loves me and I’ll never dream how much
and how He wishes I love Him back too,
He wants me by my prayers to stay in touch,
no matter where from here to Timbuktu.

Since God commands me, I must say I will
commit to Him my life and my self whole,
to pray and speak to Him, and then be still,
and listen well from here inside my soul.

From my perspective, Lord, I shall not fear
to know and love and serve You now from here.

                        -- by Pete Voelz      8/11/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Stand By You

You know I will stand by you thick and thin,
stand by you in whatever trouble you know,
stand by you in the state of grace or sin,
stand by you and I'll never let you go.

But I can't stop you when you pull away,
sometimes I must stand by because you're free,
You're free to leave, I cannot make you stay,
I must stand by, if you won't stand by Me.

If you go far, you haven't got a prayer,
if you come back, I'm always ready to
take you back anytime or anywhere,
I'll welcome you, and always stand by you.

And if you want, I'll stand by 'til the end,
your loyal friend I'll always be, My friend.

-- by Pete Voelz 8/2/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Love's Elegance

In physics beauty’s name is “elegant,”
the symmetry of a snowflake or a flower,
much of God’s beauty’s hidden, much up front,
His quiet beauty showing loving power.

If God can wring such beauty from a rose,
how much more spiritual things are beautiful,
a sin-forgiven soul peace-beauty knows,
how elegant is a simple miracle.

Love’s beauty glows in gentle harmony,
small flaws enhance the beauty of a face,
love fills the gaps with silent melody,
what is more beautiful than humble grace?

Your love, O Lord, supplies the harmony
of faith, hope and love’s elegance in me.

                      -- by Pete Voelz      8/9/13

True Home

Why should I want to live another day?
Because I want to keep my loved ones glad.
They do not want to see me go away,
they do not want so long to be so sad.

Yet God tells me that heaven’s my true home,
that unlike all this life, that is my goal.
So what I never write another poem?
One thing counts for eternity--my soul.

What little good I’d do now’s multiplied
tenfold more there than what I could do here,
knowing I’m there, my loved ones’ tears are dried,
instead of far, kind heaven brings me near.

God’s there, the angels, saints--my truest friends,
am I prepared for love that never ends?

                             -- by Pete Voelz       7/30/13

Her Humility

O Mary, God made you His Mother true,
 you still could have said, “No”--He made you free,
make you His Mom--He did not have to do,
but He loved you for your humility.

You said in your Magnificat that He
exalts the humble people of our race,
that He regarded your humility,
and due to it, He filled you full of grace.

O Mother ours, that grace we too desire,
and with your “Yes” you showed us all the key,
the courage and obedience you inspire,
but most of all your great humility.

O Christ, You showed humility like hers,
help us to have humility like Yours.

                       -- by Pete Voelz      8/7/13

God Is Truth

O God, You are the guardian of truth,
You know it all and know it through and through,
no superstitiion in You, no “forsooth,”
Your every word’s now and forever true.

“I am the way, the truth, the life,” You said,
You are the Truth for any truth to be,
though free, to truth through only You we’re led,
and true to You, the truth shall set us free.

The truth of faith and science can’t conflict,
one’s natural, one’s supernatural,
to us the line between may seem too strict,
God crosses it with every miracle.

God is the Truth just like He is true Love,
I’ll put faith in His truth here and above.

-- by Pete Voelz      7/31/13

Swift Prayer

I marvel at how swift a prayer is heard,
How all are welcomed, how no prayer is spurned,
how every thought and word are monitored,
no precious privacy where God's concerned.

The speed of light is slow compared to prayer,
In fact, God knows our prayer before it's prayed,
God hears with ease, His ear is always there,
In love with me, He swift comes to my aid.

I'll get my wish, there is no guarantee,
but that He'll answer it is guaranteed,
and just as swift His mercy comes to me,
as soon I'm sorry, from my sins I'm freed.

So soon I sense Your love, Lord, swift and true,
so swift I too will send my prayer to You.

-- by Pete Voelz 8/2/13

The Yes of Grace

O Mary, on your soul there was no trace
of sin since your conception, I confess,
for Gabriel described you as full of grace,
your soul prepared for your historic “Yes!”

Conceived immaculate, somehow God knew
the home His Son would bide--that He would bless
for His Incarnate Son--was only you,
a mystery, yes, that we can only guess.

O God, You knew, and now for me You know
how seems my soul You see, what’s its success?
How many yeses do I have to show
for my soul to end up more graced than less?

O Mary, help me say the “Yes” you said
to gain more grace from Your Son’s daily bread.

                               -- by Pete voelz      7/31/13

We Keep

I keep my health as best I can for me,
and God keeps me as best He can, I pray;
I keep my soul the best for being free,
and God, I hope, keeps up with me each day.

I keep my heart from roaming not too far
and try to keep my love for God most near,
I try to see things as they really are
and so stay true to what I hold most dear.

When health or heart or things clash with my soul,
I want to keep God first in all I do,
it's hard, O Lord, for each one takes a toll,
as I keep trying to keep faith with You.

So let me keep on taking what You make
that I'll keep for Your sake and not forsake.

                              -- by Pete Voelz           2/06

Far God So Near

Yes, God is far--He stands outside of time,
yet God is near--His Spirit has no space;
God's greatness makes Him far and so sublime,
but it is love that lets me touch His face.

God is Who is, He can't help but be great,
God is love and love must be free to be;
His love is stronger than all sin and hate,
for mercy and forgiveness too are free.

As much His greatness makes Him seem so far,
so much His greater love can bridge the span;
love lets me not just leave things as they are,
it helps me do the things I really can.

Your greatness voids not Your humility,
so You, Lord, stoop to show Your love for me.

                         -- by Pete Voelz         7/07
pmvoelz.blogspot.com

Francis and the Wolf

The wolf was large and hungry at the door,
his fame became part of the village lore;
the hungry wolf would sometimes chance to meet
a village child that he would quickly eat.

St. Francis was a famous holy man,
to him the desperate parents finally ran,
and Francis bade the hungry carnivore,
to not eat any children anymore.

Through Francis' gentle chiding in the end,
the wolf obeyed his animal-loving friend,
and Francis bade the villagers to feed
the hungry wolf and all of them agreed.

O dear St. Francis, you I do implore
to keep the wolf from scratching at my door.

                            -- by Pete Voelz       10/07