Monday, June 30, 2014

Two Wills


The world is ruled by God’s great Providence,
we recognize His kind and wise design,
yet, though to God I owe obedience,
my life is ruled by this free will of mine.

The problem--how to integrate the two,
since God created everything there is,
in my deciding what is best to do,
I should defer my headstrong will to His.

But how do I discern what is His will?
My guides are His Commandments, Scripture, prayer,
the lives of saints, His voice so small and still,
my reasonable desires applied with care.

Lord, my proud independence has no place
in our supreme interdependent space.

                                 by Pete Voelz     6/30/14

Sunday, June 29, 2014

My Reach


O God, it is not You Who comes to me,
it is instead myself must go to You,
for You are always close as You can be,
while I must always seek You out anew.

And as You wait, Your arms are full of gifts,
while empty mine have mostly sins and pleas;
and in reply, my soul Your loving lifts,
as You fill me with wild mysteries.

Our ways unequal, I am just a man,
so unreliable I often stray,
O God, though small, I bring You all I can,
my promise to believe and to obey.

O God, we both have power to cross the breech,
You give me all Your love if I but reach.

                               -- by Pete Voelz        4/06

Saturday, June 28, 2014

God's Spaces


God makes it easy here to find His places,
to see His universe we only look,
we sense Him in the big wide open spaces,
and He reveals Himself inside a book.

Old Moses heard Him from a burning bush,
like Socrates, to truth He pulls our search,
like Jonah, we might sometimes need a push,
the Father sends His Spirit to His Church.

Christ said in Him we see the Father’s face,
His Revelation whole, not just a part,
through sacramental avenues of grace,
He comes by Eucharist into my heart.

But if you don’t see God, might try a prayer,
for in that spiritual space, you’ll find Him there.

“We may ignore, but we can nowhere evade,
the presence of God. The world is crowded with Him.
He walks everywhere incognito.”
-- C.S. Lewis on FB today -- GMC

by Pete Voelz      6/28/14

Friday, June 27, 2014

When All Is Lost


When all is lost, don’t ever think that way,
for there is Someone mighty always near,
attentive to my worries every day,
Who condescends to whisper in my ear.

I need to know why is my soul so great,
perhaps it is the company it keeps
that I should never underestimate,
for with it is the One Who never sleeps.

God’s with my soul, my light and my salvation,
whom should I fear, I need not be afraid,
He keeps my soul, Who watches every nation,
to aid, not ever rain on, my parade.

O Lord, as I take refuge in Your arms,
I find the good You draw from all the harms.

“I leave myself in the arms of the Lord.
He teaches me to draw profit from everything,
from the good and the bad which He finds in me.”
--St Therese, the Little Flower on FB today--GMC

                                by Pete Voelz     6/27/14

Thursday, June 26, 2014

Beloved by God


Don’t you know who you are, O soul of mine?
Not that you’re so unusual or odd,
made by divine, you’re made to be divine,*
you are someone, you are beloved by God.

With only one of you, you are unique,
an individual like everyone else,
to God and me you have your own mystique,
He sees a special you, and His heart melts.

You will not know this love until full blast
you feel its forceful beauty when you die,
a love God keeps, you know will last and last,
because you are the apple of His eye.

Have faith, my soul, you know God’s love is true,
know too the one beloved by God is you.

* “By the mystery of this water and wine,
may we come to share in the divinity of Christ,
Who humbled Himself to share in our humanity.”
--Prayer at Mass as the priest puts a drop of water,
representing us, into the wine, representing Christ.

                         by Pete Voelz     6/26/14

Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Loan of Love


God lent me love before I was conceived,
when long before then He conceived of me,
I could not love when His love I received
‘til birth He loaned me the ability.

I felt His loan of love so natural,
for on me, some their loan of love would use,
I could not sense how great the miracle--
the Lord of love would loan me His good news.

Love makes the world go ‘round I came to know,
I exercised it in my worldy gym,
but just how fast and furious love could go
I’d only feel when paying it back to Him.

How large Your loan of love I will not see
‘til, Lord, it flows into eternity.

                     by Pete Voelz     6/24/14

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

God's Love Alone


Since God is love, true love is all God’s own,
because He’s love, His love is all there is,
love’s no one else’s, it is God’s alone,
all love that’s true and good is only His.

Wherever true love is, God is there too,
wherever God goes, His love goes along,
God’s only love, with love shot through and through,
and those who truly love to God belong.

Love is not independent, it is owned,
God owns it, and without Him love’s not real,
like life and like ourselves, His love is loaned,
our worldly love without His, we just feel.

When we love true, it is God’s love we share,
but love felt in our sin, His love’s not there.

                         by Pete Voelz     6/23/14

Monday, June 23, 2014

The Never Ready Kiss


I'm never ready to receive the Lord,
I've got some soulful housekeeping to do,
yet He's the goal I'm always moving toward,
too soon again our daily rendezvous.

I must say He is ready there for me,
always prepared to serve me with His grace,
to touch my soul with His reality,
and share the solice of His finished chase.

He knows me and wants me to know His ways,
He made my face, but His He hopes to hide,
I can't see much through this dark glassy haze,
He craves our friendship spiritually inside.

Can I prepare for this I can't resist,
O Christ, to share our kiss in Eucharist?

                     -- by Pete Voelz       2/07

Sunday, June 22, 2014

Love's Sword


When You, God, need a shield, who’s there for You?
In praise and service, You I can attend,
that’s fine, but when it’s hard, what do I do,
like when You are attacked, do I defend?

Some say they don’t believe in You, My Lord,
some actively deny that You exist,
I want to fight for You, where is my sword?
And most, defend You in Your Eucharist.

Your Sacrament’s Your greatest show of love,
the summit of our faith and source of grace,
I’ll set aside my sword and boxing glove,
I’ll take Your love and throw it in their face.

Defend, attack--why not? Love makes it happen,
like You, love is my most effective weapon.

                          by Pete Voelz     6/22/14

Saturday, June 21, 2014

God First


O God, you are the first, best love of mine,
my whole self is subordinate to You,
and everything that I possess is Thine,
my job, my friends, my world, my family too.

O Lord, I take most seriously Your commands,
Your will comes first before my own desire,
I gladly take my full fate from Your hands,
to do Your work burns in me like a fire.

Your love comes first because You are the best,
I do not want to serve what is not You,
in serving You, I will serve all the rest,
I want to most to Thine own self be true.

To put You first, all else falls into place,
to make this world and me full of Your grace.

                            -- by Pete Voelz          3/04

Friday, June 20, 2014

God's Love


God’s love is Love, for God is Love divine,
so never does God love me just in part,
when I love true, His love enhances mine,
then I love like God loves--with all my heart.

God does not love a little here and there,
His love’s all there, it does not come in pieces,
it overflows so everyone can share,
though infinite, when we love, His increases.

God’s love is good and true and beautiful,
His love flows free, not doled out from a bottle,
we take and give it like a miracle,
when we love true, then God is our role model.

As I love here, my love’s in heaven stored,
so we can share our love, my loving Lord.

                         by Pete Voelz     6/20/14

Thursday, June 19, 2014

To Talk to God


What does it take to talk to God, I wonder,
this is no Zeus who holds himself aloof,
He does not need to speak to us in thunder,
nor swamp our midget minds with tons of proof.

Yet proof He does provide that is no bluff,
a universe called “good” fills up our space,
replete with truth and beauty great enough
that not to see Him there is our disgrace.

But greater still my soul and body here,
that live and flourish right before my eyes,
I know and feel--what evidence so near!
My personal God at work is no surprise.

It takes a dose of small humility
to talk to You, Great God of mystery.

                by Pete Voelz     6/19/14

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

God's Changes


O God of longest night and longest day,
God of the winter cold and summer heat,
what do Your several seasons have to say,
when discontents and pleasures are so fleet?

Unchanging God, Who made our changing worlds,
God of it all, the simple and the deep,
as good or evil change around us swirls,
show us the changeless values we must keep.

Heaven and hell aren’t going anywhere,
the in-the-dark deniers are most afraid,
Your gifts of grace and faith are always there,
in our short lives the galaxies won’t degrade.

To change my settled ways to Yours seems tough,
but You, Lord, offer grace and faith enough.

                                  by Pete voelz     6/18/14

Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Great Gifts


What faith it takes to give your life for Christ,
what love it takes for Christ to die for me,
how great our worth for all that's sacrificed--
these feed our hope amidst this mystery.

Love starts with God Who made us good like Him,
faith is a gift that leads to what is true,
beauty arrives like spring for hope so dim,
they numb and dampen pain like morning dew.

We love the good and do it for the Lord,
these beautiful gifts produce our gratitude,
then lovely truth points to our hoped reward,
all grow by grace when we eat God as food.

O Lord, You give these gifts to make me whole,
help me to nourish them within my soul.

                          -- by Pete Voelz         4/08

Monday, June 16, 2014

Demanding God


Since You love me, can I make some demands?
I am Your humble servant, Lord, and yet,
although I am among Your greatest fans,
and I know I'm immensely in Your debt,

and we both know there's nothing I can hide,
and You know every prayer before I pray,
I feel this frantic need from deep inside
to still, O Lord,  just come right out and say:

"Look at me, God, attend me, hear me out!
You have the power to do this thing for me,
You know I want this one, don't make me shout!
Please do what I beg for so desperately."

O God, I trust that from this plea You'll give
what I will thank You for long as I live.

                        -- by Pete Voelz          10/09

Sunday, June 15, 2014

Trinity Love


O Jesus, Lord, if so much I love You,
does that mean then I love the Father less?
Or does it mean I love the Father too,
when for His Son I do my love profess?

And since the Holy Spirit's also God,
an equal member of the Trinity,
would it not thus be just a little odd
if He were not loved equally by me?

But isn't it especially hard to love
a God Whose features our eyes cannot trace,
and, even more so, love as God a dove
equal to You, when we can see Your face?

So to all three I'll send my loving prayer,
and then all three of You can equal share.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       12/10

Saturday, June 14, 2014

While Yet I Live


O God, while yet I live, I hope and care,
I still can make a difference in their lives,
I can remember them in awesome prayer,
I still can 'til eternity arrives.

When they are far away what can I do?
My words like flies just buzzing in their ears,
with no one else I know I can turn to,
except the faithful One Who waits and hears.

O God, You have the power to work Your way,
there's no bureaucracy to come between,
today I pray that You today may say,
according to Your will, You'll intervene.

So, Christ, I pray and do not have to see,
all blest, I but believe in what will be.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       3/08

Thursday, June 12, 2014

The Form of Love


Who can say best the form that love comes in,
is beauty it that forms love at first sight,
or good that grows the opposite of sin,
or faithful truth, a lover's true delight?

Love does love virtue mostly as a nest,
as love's form flows more from our hearts when true,
though written words or spoken would seem best,
our thoughts and words one oft can misconstrue.

Love's form is most discovered in one's eyes,
sketched by a child turned to a mother's face,
or by some nun, a mother in disguise,
spooning rice to a hungry child with grace.

God shows us love's form more than anyone,
to give for love of us His only Son.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       3/06

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

God Fun


God’s filled with fun, but it is future fun,
though one saint said just going to heaven is heaven,*
our greatest fun’s held back ‘til heaven’s won,
for that we need our fun-filled sins forgiven.

And yet the more I know You, God, the more
You stir my joy and make me happy here,
if anything, Lord, You are not a bore,
I fear to hurt You, You I do not fear.

You promise fun, but not for here and now,**
we have to have some faith Your fun will come,
so not before ourselves but You we bow,
we trust it will be worth our martyrdom.

How thin and pale the fun we have today,
though what Yours, Lord, will be we can’t yet say.

* St. Theresa of Avila

** Mary told St. Bernadette of Lourdes: “I cannot
promise you happiness in this life, only in the next.”

                                 by Pete Voelz     6/11/14
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Monday, June 9, 2014

God Lodestone


O God, You’re my beginning and my end,
You are my finish line, You are my start,
You are my Master, Lord, my loyal friend,
You rule my reason cold, my tender heart.

You are my lodestone with Your steady hand,
You are my inspiration and my goal,
You are my beacon leading me to land,
You are the anchor of my fickle soul.

The alpha and omega of my years,
You took my nothing dust and fashioned me,
You give both unearned joy and testing tears,
my run You turn into eternity.

I trust, Lord, when Your moulding me is through,
I’ll worthy send my grateful soul to You.

                     by Pete Voelz      2/27/14

Sunday, June 8, 2014

Get Up and Go


What do I have to go on with You, Lord?
Without You in this world there's not much sense,
I hear You promise me such great reward,
what seems to come at such a great expense.

I have to say Your threat of pain is strong,
yet I hope it's not all just based on fear,
must I just go along to get along?
I know there's more than self-indulgence here.

I feel Your love, I know that duty calls,
I know You care and want for me to care,
You're so quick to pick up the one who falls,
I can't see You yet know You're always there.

What more is there, O God, for me to know,
except it's time that I get up and go.

                        -- by Pete Voelz      7/09

Saturday, June 7, 2014

Inspiring Spirit


To be inspired, I visit with a bird,
or God Who’s pictured like a gentle dove,
just like the Son of God Who is the Word,
just like the loving Father Who is Love.

We all claim to be spiritual these days,
but there’s a Spirit in spirituality,
and only He can set the soul ablaze,
the rest is only party repartee.

Christ promised to leave the Holy Spirit here,
the Birthday of the Church on Pentacost,
His seven inspiring awesome gifts appear*
to guide and guard the faith from being lost.

O Spirit, You came with grace in tongues of fire,
and still in Confirmation You inspire.

* The Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit are piety,
counsel, knowledge, wisdom, understanding,
fortitude and fear of the Lord.

                       by Pete Voelz     6/7/14

Friday, June 6, 2014

Lost and Found


In You, O Christ, I find myself all lost,
a forest I can’t find my way out of,
my path You have a million times crisscrossed,
You hang around to offer me Your love.

Like wagons on the prairie circle ‘round,
You circle ’round and guard me from the foe,
all lost in You, I find that I am found,
there’s nowhere else I’ve found I want to go.

Where I’ve found You, I’ve found myself there too,
You are the place where I was meant to be,
beyond myself, I’ve found I’m drowned in You,
You’re everywhere, there’s no place else for me.

Where You are, God, I tread on sacred ground,
the path to heaven bound, I’m lost and found.

                         by Pete Voelz     5/27/14

Thursday, June 5, 2014

God of Dreams


You are, O God, the God of hopes and dreams,
You are the God of mysteries and powers,
though You see through my petty plans and schemes,
You love me still more than a million flowers.

You have Your hopes for me, what do I do?
I live just for myself, I self-indulge,
in all my dreams, where do I think of You?
How do I get You to Your dreams divulge?

I try to stay in touch, like when I pray,
through church and Scripture, I unlock Your word,
You give me reason's power to light my way,
in others' voices, You make Your voice heard.

I little hear, if I just dream and stare,
of You, O Lord, help me be more aware.

                          -- by Pete Voelz     9/10

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

In Prayer


Within each prayer are hidden many parts:
before we pray there is an ache inside,
we know that praying comforts many hearts
and prayers invite God to a while abide.

Prayer proves faith really lives deep in our soul,
we pray to exercise our passive hope,
our praying lets love take a greater role,
these three confirmed, our prayers can help us cope.

There is a purging of our faults in prayer,
to pray wakes gentle friend humility,
through praying, courage keeps us from despair,
and prayer brings real results mysteriously.

Prayer's praise and thanks and mercy make us safer,
and sometimes God just gives us what we pray for.

                                    -- by Pete Voelz         4/04

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

God Supercool


We’re fascinated with fantastic fakes,
the superheroes, we pretend, that rule,
do they not show how much our soul so aches
for Him Who is the only Supercool?

There’s only One with supernatural powers,
all others must obey His natural law,
the law He wrote to beautify His flowers,
that make the superheroes gawk in awe.

God is beyond our wildest imagination,
yet He’s the most real of realites,
more than our superhero adulation,
He wins our praise, not childish fantasies.

So for the others let’s turn down the heat,
our coolest God’s impossible to beat.

           by Pete Voelz     6/3/14

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Love and Compliance


No one desires compliance more than I,
I follow Your Commandments like a chart,
yet then sometimes I sin and don’t comply,
but still, O Christ, I want You in my heart.

You said I prove my love if I obey,
yet I have other loves I cannot hide,
sin sometimes rules my soul, I go astray,
still in my heart I hope You, Lord, abide.

Compliance with Your Church I must insist,
I wish to, yet I have another will,
when sin keeps me from You in Eucharist,
I pray You, Lord, to stay in my heart still.

So when my will I fill with my defiance,
I, in my heart, still crave Your love’s compliance.

                        by Pete Voelz     6/1/14