My Personal God

O God, You are so personal with me,
You've always borne me in Your heart and mind,
You want me with You for eternity,
no greater love than Yours I'll ever find.

You're my Creator and dear Father true,
and Jesus, Lord of everything I say,
Your Spirit completes a Trinity of You,
three Persons Who inspire me each day.

I know, Lord, You watch over me with care,
beyond our space and time You're at my side,
You pay attention to my smallest prayer,
for me You suffered, for my sins You died.

O personal God of endless love, I pray,
together You and I will always stay.

                         by Pete Voelz

God's New Year

Since nothing’s new to God, does it get old?
No, perfect, infinite God is ever new,
how He imagines--striking, daring, bold,
He could create a universe or two.

We can’t imagine anything like He does,
all our imaginings are based on His,
who could beget a Son love-crossed like Jesus,
Who’s always been, will always be, and is?

So what will be God’s New Year’s resolutions,
what pour forth from His creativity?
For the world’s woes will He inspire solutions,
or what’re His mighty plans for meekest me?

Let me, O Lord, discern a bit with You,
so all this year I help Your dreams come true.

by Pete Voelz      12/30/13

God's Holy Family

We celebrate our Holy Family Day
between the feasts of Christmas and New Years,
when Jesus, Son of David, comes our way,
and Mary’s Motherhood the world reveres.

Why is this family specially called holy?
Its father, Joseph, stayed faithfully chaste,
the mother picked by God as she was lowly,
the Son--a God by Whom our world was graced.

This Holy Family shows us Holy Marriage,
a mom-dad model made female and male,
our sacred Matrimony some disparage,
a God-blest institution that could fail.

It takes God, mom and dad to make a child,
or God’s whole Holy Family is defiled.

by Pete Voelz    12/29/13
the Feast of the Holy Family

Prayer Remembers

With each Our Father, I remember You,
with each Hail Mary, more I know Your Son,
each prayer’s inspired by Your Spirit too,
so I’ll remember ‘til my life is done.

If I forget You, God, You won’t forget,
that’s one condition of Your love for me,
I fall into my terrible sins, and yet
You keep on loving unconditionally.

And if a desperate mother has forgot
the living, loving baby in her womb,
just like me, Lord, that child You have not,
as in Your heart for each one there is room.

Since You remember me, God, through and through,
I’ll always with my prayers remember You.

                          --  by Pete Voelz       7/17/13

 

Led to Love

If I am led to love by gratitude,
then does not my compassion do the same?
And then more my compunction should intrude,
to know it is my sins that are to blame.

I found surcease of sorrow in my prayer,
in seeking mercy and forgiveness too,
yet prayer can also make me more aware
of how my sins have caused to suffer--You.

No longer only my imagination
suffices for what I already know--
my sins hurt every sensitive sensation
that cause Your wounds and all Your blood to flow.

If pity, thanks, and grief don’t lead to love,
I’ve no life here below nor there above.

                          by Pete Voelz      12/27/13
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

The Christmas Rage

If I don’t think of God, He thinks of me,
what time I don’t give Him, to me He gives,
I dream, He makes me face reality,
though I don’t live for Him, for me He lives.

God’s gifts come from His heart, but where are mine?
He gives so much, He only wants my heart,
my heart is of the world, not the divine,
He draws me closer, while I draw apart.

Then Christmas comes, I notice God a bit,
among the noise and presents, He’s the center,
“the reason for the season” is a hit,
and He bids me to ask Him now to enter.

He enters, turns the page, I, a new leaf,
Christ is the Christmas rage, however brief.

                           by Pete Voelz     12/26/13

Christmas Soul

Who is the dazzling diamond Christmas star,
born of the oldest Magi story told,
the greatest King Who comes most from afar,
best of the myrrh and frankincense and gold?

Before Whose name does every head bow down,
before Whose face do all knees humbly bend,
Whose head will hold the holiest halo crown,
Who’s everyone’s most loving personal friend?

Whose name does every voice proclaim is Lord,
Who shared Creation as the Word and Son,
Who’ll judge us with His terrible swift sword,
Who is God-Hero saving everyone?

You’ve written, Lord, my name upon Your scroll,
right under Yours, O Christmas of my soul.

                           by Pete Voelz      12/25/13

Eve to Dawn

Eve sinned and darkness ruled ‘til Mary’s dawn,
conceived without sin, Mary brought the morn,
the snake at bay, the reign of sin was gone,
her “yes” conceived a King, a new day born.

Eve full of pride sinned first and gave us night,
then full of grace with her humility,
young Mary’s word produced the Word of light,
a Savior Who redeemed our destiny.

Eve’s evening “yes” caused many souls to wait,
her Adam brought us death and human strife,
while Mary’s set the calendar’s new date,
her Advent wait led to eternal life.

As New Eve hopes her God-Son’s born to stay,
Emmanuel greets Her dawn on Christmas Day.

                   by Pete Voelz      12/24/13

A Child of God

I am a child of God more than I know,
since He's Our Father, He's my Father too,
when He created me eons ago,
my soul and body He most carefully drew.

Out of His love He then adopted me,
to name me clearly as His son and heir,
to share His love for an eternity,
stamped by His image I would always wear.

He's lavished gifts on me just like a son,
my name, my feelings, yes, my very breath,
then guaranteed that my salvation's won
by sending His own Son unto His death.

You made me free to choose to be Your child,
O God, I pray You keep us reconciled.

by Pete Voelz

Spirit Promptings

Where would I be without You prompting me,
without Your voice that keeps my conscience clear,
O Holy Spirit of the Trinity,
Whose time and place are always now and here?

You prompt me so I choose to make a choice,
I choose to listen to what I receive,
to hear the silent prompting of Your voice,
and answer by mere faith that I believe.

I grateful choose to so be open to
Your gentle prompting to accept Your grace,
gracefully You prompt me to choose to do
the prompted choice of faith that I embrace.

O God, let me be prompt to make as mine
the promptings I choose by Your voice divine.

                                -- by Pete Voelz      5/07

Prayer Fear

My son, to seek My aid be not afraid,
the coward wants no help, but not the brave,
it takes more courage, son, to ask for aid,
than give up on the soul you still can save.

Don’t take the slings and arrows of your sin,
or wring your hands--”to be or not to be,”
take arms, oppose them, for you still can win,
so seek My aid, be not afraid of Me.

“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams,”
free prayer will cost you nothing but your pride,
seek Me in prayer to help your hopes and schemes,
keep not your spirit bottled up inside.

Ask and you shall receive, I promise you,
God cannot lie, My promises come true.

                          by Pete Voelz      12/21/13

Saint Secrets

Do saints know something that we do not know?
To us the saints all seem a little strange,
they take real serious where we’re supposed to go,
St. Francis proved great willingness to change.

Saints put God first, they show great faith in Christ,
His prayers they pray, His sufferings they do,
like Him, they let themselves be sacrificed,
like Paul, they get a miracle or two.

The saints are famed for how they love and give,
for their heroic virtues in their deeds,
they show they’ve given up sin by how they live,
like Mother Theresa met the poorests’ needs.

Some saints are like John Paul--gifted and great,
O Lord, they seem so hard to emulate.

                         by Pete Voelz      12/19/13

Close By God

No matter how much God so far may be,
minding the universe, fixing a star,
He always takes time out to nurture me,
to show to me how close by God we are.

God serves me like a servant, like a slave,
just making me, He made a big investment,
in love so much, He wants my soul to save,
He constantly tests me for an assessment.

God fights for me, He knows we are at war,
religion, faith, His Spirit, His Church He’s given,
the things my culture tells me are a bore
are crucial weapons helping me to heaven.

O Lord, Your closeness often seems mysterious,
should I, like You, not take it somewhat serious?

                            by Pete Voelz      12/19/13

Excited God

God knows all, but He did it anyway,
He knew our race would hurt Him by our sin,
He rested happy on that seventh day,
excited, He foresaw our love flow in.

Excited by the angels He had made,
by His creative love that He was showing,
the love He proved by coming to our aid,
His Son’s love shown by all His blood outflowing.

Excited by our true love most of all,
the love we give to God because we’re free,
though devastated by our Eden Fall,
it’s all made good to God by love from me.

O Lord, in freely choosing to love You,
by love I want to be excited too.

               by Pete Voelz      12/18/13

Believe to Love

When does believe turn into know, then love?
I first believe and know all that I sense,
but don’t yet love what I have knowledge of,
nor how to know and then have love commence.

We do not just believe what’s visible,
we can sense God like we sense love inside,
from their effects, we know things spiritual,
and eyes of faith can see the things that hide.

But when does love from faith and knowledge grow?
I come to love those who show love for me,
though admiration, gratitude come slow,
I still sense love’s mysterious quality.

Since You are love, O Lord, You teach us how
to love each other--and You--here and now.

                         by Pete Voelz      10/22/13

Best Loved

Though You are love and may be everywhere,
You and Your love aren’t everywhere the same,
of Your love, Lord, You give the greatest share
to us, for we most set Your love aflame.

Your’s love’s so great, it stirs the stars to fire,
expands the universe at lightning speed,
yet aims at humans, who stir Your desire,
for we alone fill Your love’s greatest need.

The universe and stars will pass away,
while we’ll love You for all eternity,
and though Your laws they faithfully obey,
You most love us who love You ‘cause we’re free.

And like us, You love families, friends, the rest,
but love us best when we love You the best.

                          by Pete Voelz      12/9/13

Hail Mary Joy

O Mother Mary mine, you never tire
to hear the words the angel said to you,
“Hail, full of grace”--the state of your desire,
“the Lord is with thee”--Oh, how true, how true!

“Blest art thou of all women”--so you heard,
in visiting your cousin on that hill,
her words, John’s joyful leap, both proved the Word
dwelt in you by your word--Oh, what a thrill!

You listen to with joy our Marian prayer,
then “Holy Mary, Mother of God”--yet,
by our words, we excite your love and care,
“pray for us sinners”--you will not forget!

O Mary, may these words bring joy to me,
so I, just like “the Lord,” will “be with thee.”

                       by Pete Voelz      12/15/13

God's Trap

Now when it comes to prayer, you should beware
that God can use it as a kind of trap,
for soon you find you can pray anywhere,
which leads to God as if a kind of map.

You start to pray and then you start to care,
prayer draws us out to see the needs of others,
then too it turns on you for God’s right there,
so if we pray enough, our sins He smothers.

Join God in prayer, and soon our lives we share,
He takes our blinders off, with faith we see,
our secrets slide away, our souls we bare,
His answers make a miracle of me.

I’ve warned you, so start praying if you dare,
God sneaks and grabs and traps you with a prayer.

                               by Pete Voelz      12/14/13

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 really be of me so fond,
engaging in celestial politics?

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

                          -- by Pete Voelz     1/05

Bring Love

Before the act of give comes that of bring,
you can’t get water from a well that’s dry,
we first must have before we bring a thing,
and we should see the taker eye-to-eye.

What do I have, O God, that You might wish?
I only have what You have given me,
no stone I’ll give if You ask for a fish,
just love can I because You made me free.

But with that love, my faithfulness to You,
no love without obeying Your commands,
or I’m a liar and my love’s untrue,
love too is proven by my charitable hands.

O Lord, You bring Your everything to me,
I bring love true that’s everything to You.

                -- by Pete Voelz      12/12/13

Guadalupe Day

St. Juan Diego heard no voice of God,
he saw no burning bush, he wasn’t Moses,
but heard and saw God’s Mother, and what’s odd,
she filled his tilma with a bush of roses.

Yet more than flowers he’d to the bishop carry,
who with his aides saw stamped upon that robe
an Aztec image of the Virgin Mary,
from then a work of art seen ‘round the globe.

She there appeared in fifteen thirty one,
ten years since Spain had conquered Mexico,
led then eight million Indians to her Son,
and millions more to her great shrine would go.

Americas’ sweet Patroness, we say,
and honor her on Guadalupe Day.

by Pete Voelz      12/12/13
Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Nelson Lives

They say he died, I don’t believe it’s so,
when millions, no, when billions, even more
hear of him now on worldwide radio,
his life much more alive than heretofore.

He taught the races how to get along,
and then achieved real reconciliation,
flawed like us all, he wrestled right and wrong,
hostility he cooled to build a nation.

Like King and Abe, our conscience was his field,
he urged an end to hate and violence,
to us with his own body he appealed
by prison civil disobedience.

His ways of peace have made our hearts his shrine
he lives as I take them to heart as mine.

                        by Pete Voelz      12/10/13

God Touch

I think, O Lord, of everyone You touch,
You helped create us and You help us still,
in life You touched the poor and sick so much,
to death You loved us then and always will.

There was no sickness that You couldn’t cure,
You touched all by Your presence and Your hand,
Your touch was always sinless, powerful, pure,
our minds You touch with words we understand.

But best with grace You touch our tainited soul,
our will You touched so we can love You free,
You let us sin and still stay in control,
yet touch us with Your mercy mystery.

It’s time I need to touch the needy too,
for touching them, I know I’m touching You.

                          by Pete Voelz      12/7/13

Conceived Without Sin

Before she said her “Yes,” God knew she would,
so He had her Immaculately Conceived.
Why choose her? She was humble and so good,
courageous, strong in faith, for she believed.

Immaculate in her conception, she
was free from stain of our Original Sin,
for in her graceful womb there soon would be
conceived God’s Son, to live nine months therein.

Our souls conceived with all our DNA,
we too are fully human all that time,
to kill us then would be the same today
as Cain’s original and primeval crime.

Conceived without sin, Mary, pray for me,
and pray for all who have recourse to thee.

by Pete Voelz        12/8/13
Feast of the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Pray Hiding

Sometimes, O God, I’d rather hide than pray,
the world is fun, You show up with a cross,
like Jonah then, I want to run away,
You come at Christmas, I like Santa Claus.

I know You are the sun, the world is dross,
I, Phantom-like, prefer the dark to day,
which one of us should rule, I’m at a loss,
so Hamlet-like, to say or not to say.

You are the King, the world I ought to toss,
life marches on, and I should not delay,
of course I do not fight You, You’re the boss.
instead of hide, I by Your side should stay,

Like Job, Lord, I must say--You more, me less,
You give, You take, You and Your name I bless.

                         by Pete Voelz      12/5/13

The Joy of God

What blocks the joy that I should have for God?
For joy that God's so good we should not wait,
our happiness therefrom should need no prod,
there's nothing should delay a joy so great.

Joy is a thrill that has a depth of peace,
it's not just feeling transitory fun,
joy is long term, its fun should never cease,
it comes from God, when all is said and done.

It's true we live within a vale of tears,
but joy is anchored in eternal things,
our God makes sure He cuts through doubts and fears,
though we are caged, our joyful heart-bird sings.

O God, I know Your face, I hear Your voice,
I really have no choice but to rejoice.

                             -- by Pete Voelz          9/07

Faith Sense

I hear a voice I cannot hear,
I see a face I cannot see,
with eye of faith and open ear
I know someone has come to me.

I feel a hand I cannot feel,
a part of me and yet apart,
I feel a touch that is so real,
so deep inside my heart of heart.

I sense my problems almost cease,
a mark on me without a trace,
so lifted up my soul in peace,
I feel the fullness of His grace.

For one with so much misery,
I'm happy, Lord, You visit me.

        -- by Pete Voelz      10/07

Less Holy

What should I do when I don’t feel so holy,
like when I’m into me more than with God,
and see I’m making progress all too slowly,
as I suspect my holy’s a facade?

Or when I find I’m not much into caring,
and concentrate on comfort most for me,
concerned with hoarding cash instead of sharing,
focused on now and not eternity?

My ardor cooled, I sense the embers dying,
the love I felt so warm now has a chill,
and lazy-like, I am not even trying,
I need some grace to waken up my will.

O Lord, help me at least to pray this through,
and tend to less of me and more of You.

                      -- by Pete Voelz      7/10/13

Trading Love

I have to say that writing poems to You
has made me love--and made me love You--more,
perhaps ‘cause You I’m more attentive to,
and so we tell each other what’s the score.

Though there are seldom words I can express
the way I feel, yet still the words are true,
and never do I feel You fail to bless
this little repartee between us two.

For if the words in me burn like a fire,
I feel from You Your love like fire too,
they must come out; though they’re what You inspire,
they still can tell only a bit of You.

I do not write to look for some reward,
just trading love with You’s enough, O Lord.

                          by Pete Voelz      12/3/13

Planet God

You made the planets, put us here to live,
but we prefer a planet of our own,
we turn from You, and all the gifts You give,
to gods of self and silicon and stone.

The god of science really’s just our pride,
for hours we worship fun technology,
in vanity we push You, God, aside,
yet Planet God is true reality.

With cool inventions, we adore our smarts,
we make machines and media our toys,
neglect the spiritual with our worldly hearts,
deny Your planet of celestial joys.

Lord, keep Your planet clear before our eyes,
so as we run, we keep them on the prize.

                       by Pete Voelz      12/2/13

Angel Prayer

To be an angel I need only pray,
for angels best can talk to God in prayer;
with angel speed I wing my words away,
they waft their path to God from anywhere.

If infinite God can fill an infinite space,
He doesn't need a transponder to wear;
a prayer can hone in on His holy grace,
my angel thoughts can quickly find Him there.

A prayer is born from my angelic side
and flies to One Who's listening with care;
my guardian angel hangs on for the ride,
when we arrive we make an awesome pair.

The problem is for me that when I pray,
my angel spirit always wants to stay.

                       -- by Pete Voelz          9/05