God's Fullness

When I am full of God, it's just halfway,
and empty, it's just halfway emptiness,
yet halfway full is so much more, I'd say,
than halfway emptiness of Him is less.

Just as halfway sweet spring is full of hope,
so halfway full of God seems almost full,
as halfway fall resists the slippery slope,
so empty God holds back the downward pull.

God never wants to fully fill us up
and never wants to let us empty be,
He always leaves some Godness in our cup
and gives us space because He made us free.

Empty or full of halfway God or whole,
a bit of God is fullness to my soul.

                        -- by Pete Voelz            3/05

Mighty Test

In me You made, O God, a mighty test,
You gave me awe-filled freedom as my sword,
to cut through all distractions on my quest
to choose the best in service of my Lord.

You formed my freedom to make faith the first
of all the great decisions I must do,
to set myself aside and be immersed
in seeing, knowing, loving, serving You.

O God, to take the test You make me turn
to follow You or choose my own desires,
like wanting selfish things and thus to spurn
the harder, better things Your way inspires.

O God, I pray help me to take my blade,
fight for Your sake and, faithful, make the grade.

                              -- by Pete Voelz           5/07

You and I

I am the only one who's been the I
who's lived inside of me, lo, all these years,
no other's seen the world from my own eye,
and none has felt my joy or known my tears.

You've sheltered me, O God, wherever I go,
sometimes I've been myself, sometimes Your tool,
I've been protected all this time, I know,
by family, church, my government and school.

Of course, You've helped from inside me, it's true,
and outside when I think I'm on my own,
whatever I've done, it's always been with You,
inside and out, I've never been alone.

I thank You, Lord, for all You've done for me,
may we make me who You want me to be.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz       4/09

Just and Merciful God

O all just God, show me Your mercy please,
O God of justice, please forgive my sin,
O righteous God, calm down the threatening seas,
O Father, save me from the storm I'm in.

O God, You're famous for Your perfect justice,
I'd hate to see it mark imperfect me,
and yet I know You cannot really trust us
to judge ourselves where justice wouldn't be.

If justice is the law compassionate,
and law makes room for mercy's seasoning,
then Lord, let sweet compassion in somewhat
that tender mercy may rush in full swing.

I know, God, if Your justice has its say,
Your mercy will take all our fears away.

                            -- by Pete Voelz         4/04

True Love Entwined

Love’s not true love unless it is entwined
with God’s own love where all true love is from,
for God is love, to Whom true love must bind,
the source of love that makes His Kingdom come.

True love is a commitment meant to last,
not just with feelings that can lead to sin,
through thick and thin and pain, true love holds fast,
quite independent of the mood we’re in.

True love’s not blind, nor just part of some trance,
but like God’s love, it’s unconditional,
true love takes work and courts in constant dance,
with God it makes a lifelong miracle.

God’s love gives love its own true deep allure,
that grows with years to true love strong and sure.

                                by Pete Voelz         8/13/15

Do I Count, God?

 O God, I ask You, do I really count?
“I loved, before I knit, you in the womb.”*
You love me but how much is the amount?
“Forever infinite beyond the tomb.”

And too I ask You, Lord, why do I matter?
“With unconditional love, no explanation.”
Why should I stay with You while others scatter?
“For you I made the world and all Creation.”

You love me lots, but how much am I worth?
“For you I sent My Son to suffer and die.”
But how much me compared to all on earth?
“Because you are the apple of My eye.”

Lord, You are worth it and count more than me,
“Well, just you wait for heaven, then you’ll see.”

* Jeremiah 1:5

                           by Pete Voelz         8/8/15

Seamless Life

God makes all life and to all life He gives,
there never is a time when He’s not giving,
God gives us spiritual life that lives and lives,
there’ll never be a time when we’re not living.

Around us all the physical things are dying,
their nature is to pass away and die,
our spiritual life lives on without our trying,
our nature is to live and not to cry.

God’s always been and He will never end,
His gift of life to us He’s always sending,
our body-souls will rise and once more blend,
our life will be forever never-ending.

You lead us, Lord, to life we’re always winning,
when we die, seamless life is just beginning.

                         by Pete Voelz        8/8/15

Real God

O God, Yours is the real that's really real,
the spiritual world that's true reality;
we know as much as You choose to reveal
to let us touch our lasting destiny.

Each time we probe a riddle of creation,
we find there are profounder mysteries;
while H20 tests our imagination,
we're awed by all the secrets of the seas.

As much as we can sense the world around,
we know a deeper world of soul inside;
we feel so real within our body bound,
but see we’re still alive when it has died.

Just like up there, down here I want to spend
a lot of time with You until the end.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       2/06

What Does Prayer Do?

What does prayer do
and how do we get it to?  

What is this spiritual force
we do as a matter of course?  

Where is the ear to hear
words breathed in silent fear?

And when the prayer is done,
how do we know we've won?

Must it take faith to pray,
certain to have God's way?

Or is it most a hope
we reach for just to cope?

When does the payoff come
and must we too pay some?

How can we make prayer last
without a little fast?

Does one small sacrifice
help prayer to make it nice?

Or is prayer just some wraith
that asks for just more faith?

Whatever prayer demands,
I leave, God, in Your hands.

    -- by Pete Voelz     2000

God Superhero

Our supernatural God should be the hero,
our heroes all have supernatural power,
but God made us ex nihilo--from zero,
no superhero can create a flower.

Though God’s most powerful, He can’t be seen,
we see His works, but He’s invisible,
our superheroes we just see on the screen,
the greatest power--unseen--is spiritual;.

My spiritual power is faith in what is real,
with supernatural gifts like hope and love,
not violence like our superheroes’ appeal,
I’ll look where God’s power starts and ends--above.

Our superheroes’ power’s just fantasy,
while You, Lord, give true superpower to me.

                     by Pete Voelz         8/4/15

Close In On God

How best to use the time that I have left?
To separate myself from worldly ways,
not to care much for things I am bereft,
and to close in on God these cancer days.

To all my friends I want to say goodbye,
clean up my messes, not leave them behind
so family doesn’t have to as they cry,
and all the time “Be kind, be kind, be kind.”*

Then, Lord, try to clean up my spiritual mess,
as I say “Hi!” to You in all I meet,
in all ways “make You more and make me less,”**
Your blood and flesh to daily drink and eat.

Though cancer-filled, let me be full of grace,
as You decide when we meet face-to-face.

* The 3 most important things to do, said Henry
James to his nephew leaving to seek his fortune.

** The goal of St. John the Baptist--John 3:30

                         by Pete Voelz         8/2/15

My Honorness

Part of my honor is a bit of fear,
I want to keep my sense of honor, yes,
I do fear not to have my honor clear,
I do not want to lose my honorness.

Part of my honor is a bit of pride,
I prize my reputation, I confess,
but more I want good thoughts of me inside,
I'm proud about my own good honorness.

I care what certain others think of me,
I don't want my loved ones to love me less,
my parents, wife, and all my progeny,
I want to honor them with honorness.

For fear or pride or love, I pray You bless,
and help me keep, O God, my honorness.

                              -- by Pete Voelz     4/06

Deep in My Soul

I reach deep in my soul and find God there,
there is no depth where He cannot be found,
or search the stars to find Him everywhere,
He is inside, outside, and all around.

God's in my soul more than He's in the stars,
closer to me than He is far above,
more deep in me than in the world's bazaars,
for He lives most where most abides His love.

I have to stretch to sense Him in my soul,
and yet sometimes He'll catch me by surprise,
I see Him best when I give up control,
and humbly I submit to One more wise.

O God, You fill the universe and me,
I sink my soul, my self, my whole in Thee.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       1/08

Music God

There is no artist like the Lord of all,
He paints a beauteous sunset ever day,
nobody else can form a waterfall,
or nightly sketch, then sweep the stars away.

God gives us instruments, the music's ours,
we make the melody, then sing along,
on earth God sticks to shaping silent flowers,
and we must wait for heaven to sing His song.

But where's the music in the world God made?
The birds trill fleet and just repeat their notes,
the chords of nature sound and then they fade,
except refrains that hum from human throats.

The strains of heaven's choirs may be divine,
but here the sweetest symphonies are mine.

                          -- by Pete Voelz          2/07

Cancer Cross

You nail me, God, upon Your cancer cross,
I squirm, but I cannot escape my fate,
the game is up, my score is down--my loss,
make up my errors--I am just too late.

So why me, Lord? It is no good to ask,
I’m normal, and death comes to everyone,
God simply tells me to rise to the task,
the world moves on, it’s just my time here’s done.

The God Who made me calls me to account,
my every good and bad thought, word and deed,
He gives me time to make up the amount,
He will not break a bent and lowly reed.

Lord, I accept, to You my arms stretch out,
for only You know what it’s all about.

                      by Pete Voelz       2/28/15

Christ With Us

God made us incarnation, body and soul,
a mystery-mix of physical-spiritual,
the body dies, so we’re no longer whole,
God aims our spirit for heaven, a miracle.

Incarnate Christ took on our human form,
the spirit of sin and spirit of love made war,
He conquered death, then rose, made love the norm,
our body and soul, like His, joined evermore.

Christ stayed with us in two incarnate ways--
His Church that is His body and His spirit,
His Eucharist, though hidden from our gaze,
deserves our faith and love--no need to fear it.

I trust Your Church and Eucharist so dear,
both are Your love incarnate, Lord, down here.

                      by Pete Voelz       7/27/15

Keep Love Alive

Remember when you felt love live--and die,
you wondered how to keep your love alive,
without the feeling, how you didn’t try?
Love must be fed and practiced to survive.

When love’s spontaneous, it is more fun,
feelings of love still live inside your heart,
but feelings fade and, unfed, love’s undone,
it doesn’t hurt so much to be apart.

Love fresh can form some habits that remain,
love can be nourished and then exercised,
love takes commitment and accepts the pain,
with work, time, faithfulness, love’s energized.

Faith too in You helps, Lord, with grace and prayer,
but most of all, one simply has to care.

by Pete Voelz       7/26/15
Happy Parents Day

God Dead

God, I recall when Time announced You died,
I think it was in 1964,
we all felt just a little sad inside,
that You’d not be around much anymore.

Remember when the Beatles came along,
“Bigger than Jesus,” they said on the scene,
“Imagined” no religion in one song,
some kids OD’d their “Yellow Submarine.”

The next few decades You came back to life,
come to find out, You weren’t dead after all,
cut though the New Age nonsense like a knife,
then Communism died from St. John Paul.

It wasn’t odd You weren’t dead anymore,
for You’d come back to life here once before.

               by Pete Voelz                 7/25/15

Hurry Up, God

O God, I wonder why I hurry past You,
I’m in a hurry when I have to pray,
there are so many things I’ve never asked You,
I glance Your way and don’t know what to say.

I wish they’d hurry up when I’m at church,
I am a bit ashamed to say I’m bored,
I don’t see You around, don’t care to search,
I can’t work up much interest in You, Lord,

So much of You’s not relevant to me,
don’t mind if I just leave You on the shelf,
I look around, and You I do not see,
I have a lot of needs about myself.

I mostly hurry by cuz I don’t care,
but if I need You, Lord, I hope You’re there.

               by Pete Voelz         7/14/15

To Cherish God

I think I cherish Mary, she’s my Mother,
like my own mom, a living work of art,
and Jesus I can cherish like a brother,
the way He died for me subdues my heart.

The people near are easy here to cherish,
but God, Who’s far away, I cannot see,
unlike my family, friends in town and parish,
how can I cherish One not close to me?

I sense God sky and ocean, far and wide,
He is the core of all things everywhere,
I try to cherish God as He’s inside,
when we’re more personal in quiet prayer.

Omniscient God knows I do cherish Him,
with deeper feelings, not just as a whim.

                  by Pete Voelz         7/23/15

What Identity Crisis?

Where is this crisis of identity?
I’m made in God’s own image, I’m His child,
a sinner too, though God’s forgiven me,
unalienated, we are reconciled.

My self I do not need to try to find,
God founded me and found me long ago,
He gave me my own soul and will and mind,
and the ability to love Him so.

I am a temple of His Holy Ghost,
and publicly I worship Him in church,
I eat His body in the sacred host,
with Christ, who needs identity to search?

An heir of heaven I will forever be,
what lack have we of an identity?

                  by Pete Voelz         7/22/15

Retroactive Love

O Christ, You had no place to rest Your head,
so, God Who stands outside of time, I’ll be,
with retroactive love for You, Your bed,
where You can lay Your weary head on me.

God’s spiritual world exists outside of time,
there all is now, no future and no past,
our retroactive love can be sublime,
no place or time, all will forever last.

My freedom is unbound by time and space,
my retroactive love, Lord, You can feel,
no matter when or where You are, Your face
rests on the pillow of my love for real.

My love can freely travel on a prayer
to You, Lord, if I only choose to care.

           by Pete Voelz         7/21/15

The Brave Are True

The brave are true, the coward robs the bank,
real courage is the steady job, the law,
the brave are faithful and it’s God they thank,
the lazy coward holds God not in awe.

Peer pressure makes the coward take a dare,
with false friends he wants badly to belong,
with drinking, drugs and hook-ups everywhere,
invincible, he dismisses right and wrong.

The brave will try to cultivate their smarts,
the coward strikes the drunk’s and addict’s pose,
he trashes, leaves a trail of broken hearts,
he stinks but thinks he smells just like a rose.

The brave repent, try to be humble, true,
their fortitude brings them back, O Lord, to You.

                         by Pete Voelz         7/20/15

God Compelling

Fear of the Lord, I find, defeats my fear,
it is His truth and law that set me free,
the deeper God becomes, the more He’s near,
with fear and law and truth, He’s forced on me.

The logic of the Lord compels my mind,
the beauty of His worship soothes my soul,
my faith in Him’s the opposite of blind,
God wants to keep me clear-eyed in control.

God teaches me a lot so I am smart,
He stimulates my weak imagination,
He pushes His love hard into my heart,
He draws me to His words for inspiration.

In every way with grace, Lord, You compel me,
and make me yearn for everything You tell me.

                        by Pete Voelz              7/19/15

God Hiding

Sometimes I think that God hides far away
among the stars so we can’t see Him there,
our timeless God seems not with us today,
He hides because we are too much to bear.

Sometimes I think God hides Himself in me,
I sense Him and I talk to Him in here,
once here, then Him out there I cannot see,
how can He face our kind without some fear?

No, no, God throws His hat into the ring,
we see Him at the center of the action,
our infinite God’s involved in everything,
His faithful courage is a big attraction.

Since, Lord, You’re fired by love, You do not hide,
while I, unloving, hide in and outside.

by Pete Voelz               7/18/15

Unfair Life

"Life is unfair," I heard John Kennedy say,
"In this life I can't promise you much joy,"
Our Lady told St. Bernadette one day,
I wonder, then, is heaven just a ploy?

No matter how much pain I suffer here,
God promises He will take care of me;
it takes great faith to trust He's always near,
that His joy there will last eternity.

We often see bad men rewarded now,
though God said He would guard us from the foe;
why would God make this covenantal vow,
if He would not reward us when we go?

I can't accept this life is all there is,
when faithful God still calls me to all His.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       1/06

You Didn't Have To

You didn’t have to make the universe,
the galaxies, the stars, the moon and sun,
instead of good, You could have made it worse,
and never called it good when You were done.

You could have made a world that left out me,
or made it so that everyone was blind,
think of the flowers then we’d never see,
and all the rest that shows us You’re so kind.

When You made us, You knew we’d sometimes fail,
success is that most evil we contest,
You love our struggle for the Holy Grail,
desiring You, You see us at our best.

To show how much us, Lord of love, You did love,
You always knew You’d never us be rid of.

                               by Pete Voelz       7/16/15

God Prays for Me

God prays for me, He prays to me for me,
He prays by prayer He can my prayer inspire;
though He decrees for me to be still free,
He prays that I attend to His desire.

God's prayer includes appealing to my mind,
His prayer reminds me of our common goal,
He tests my body too when I'm too blind,
He preys upon my conscience and my soul.

God never quits or lets up on His prayer,
He constantly bombards me on my way,
He offers me eternity to share,
and lovingly begs me at least to pray.

O God, my answer is I'm praying too,
I pray the grace to pray for me to You.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       3/07

Hurry Up, God

O God, I wonder why I hurry past You,
I’m in a hurry when I have to pray,
there are so many things I’ve never asked You,
I glance Your way and don’t know what to say.

I wish they’d hurry up when I’m at church,
I am a bit ashamed to say I’m bored,
I don’t see You around, don’t care to search,
I can’t work up much interest in You, Lord,

So much of You’s not relevant to me,
don’t mind if I just leave You on the shelf,
I look around, and You I do not see,
I have a lot of needs about myself.

I mostly hurry by cuz I don’t care,
but if I need You, Lord, I hope You’re there.

               by Pete Voelz         7/14/15

God of Love and Truth

Why would a God of truth engage in lies?
Why would four holy writers fudge the story?
They did not tell their Gospels in disguise,
and such deceit could never bring them glory.

God tells His truth by science and Revelation,
His Big Bang through a communist and a priest,*
both tellings show His genius at Creation,
does pride deny my sharing in the feast?

A God of love would not betray us here,
nor would He come to die and rise for naught,
it makes no sense to face our faith with fear,
let us accept the treasure that He bought.

A truthful, loving God--what more could He
bring down from heaven to personally offer me?

*The Russian scientist Alexander Friedmann and the
Belgian Catholic physicist priest Georges Lemaitre
both discovered the Big Bang about the same time.

                             by Pete Voelz             7/13/15

What Do I Owe?

What do I owe You, God, for all Your gifts,
for all You do, what is my attitude?
When I think of such things, I know it shifts,
and I can't help but feel great gratitude.

From nothing, God, You brought me to exist,
You gave me life and made a special me,
for such great love, what leads me to resist?
Why be perverse just 'cuz You made me free?

You do not trash me when I go astray,
with mercy and  forgiveness You respond,
while I repeat my sins, faithful You stay,
despite my flaws, of me You prove You're fond.

I'm grateful, God, You love ungrateful me,
let me thank You into eternity.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       4/07

Keep Your Roots

The hogshed, woodshed, all the sheds are gone,
no corncrib, smokehouse, outhouse, barn appears,
the maple trees are missing from the lawn,
how transitory were my boyhood years.

The present empties soon into the past,
Pope Francis warns, “Do not forget your roots,”
our families and traditions surely last
when we let Church and children be our fruits.

Beware of “spiritual alzheimer’s,” he said,
do not forget the faith you have begun,
save up in heaven the good that you’ve been fed,
repent, and God forgets the bad you’ve done.

Nothing I’ll bring, Lord, when I go to sleep,
all will be gone, except the good I keep.

                      by Pete Voelz         7/11/15

God's Wormhole

God has a little wormhole in the sky,
where He sits on His end and I on mine,
in private dialogue just He and I,
so I can be in touch with the Divine.

My words sail faster than the speed of light,
my thoughts can land beyond the universe,
the words, in fact, I don't have to recite,
the thoughts I need not ever here rehearse.

God doesn't even have to hear a word,
He knows my prayer before I start to pray,
no amplifier’s needed to be heard,
He reads my secret heart that I betray.

O God, I pray my soul someday will fly
through--thick or thin--our wormhole in the sky.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       4/07

Answer to Complaints

I've oft complained as problems round me swirled,
and getting mad, I've wanted to get even,
a broken man inside a broken world,
I know I'm supposed to leave it up to heaven.

With all my troubles still the Scriptures say
I really should not kick against the goad;
a fallen soul, for many needs I pray,
this fallen world gives me a heavy load.

But Mary's answer Scripture does record,
and down through all the ages will be heard:
she said, "Behold the handmaid of the Lord,
be done to me according to Thy word."

So though I know my problems weigh a ton,
them I accept and say, "Thy will be done."

                            -- by Pete Voelz        2/04

Why Works Matter

The hungry, thirsty we give food and drink,
so on that thrilling terrible Judgment Day,
that’s coming to us sooner than we think,
“Enter My Kingdom,” we’ll hear Jesus say.

Shelter the homeless, clothe the naked too,
the Corporal Works of Mercy, plain to see,
we’ll hear Christ list and then tell me and you,
“What you have done to them, you’ve done to Me.”

We help and visit prisoners and the sick,
we honor them with deeds, not just in speech,
no mystery here, salvation is no trick,
for Jesus lives a special way in each.

We last respect the bodies of the dead,
they’ll resurrect that day as Christ has said.

                           by Pete Voelz         7/8/15

God's Show

God’s greater than E equals M C squared,
His numbers stretch out even more than pi,
God knows a lot more math than what He’s shared,
we still don’t know what lies beyond the sky.

We only see what Mighty God creates,
we only know what Showman God reveals,
in His good time, He shows the one who waits,
and then there’s even more that He conceals.

God’s glad when we find out about His show,
He gave us our great curiousity,
God loves His science He wants us to know,
His nature, laws in all their mystery.

God likes it when we play nature detective,
if we keep show and Showman in perspective.

                            by Pete Voelz         7/7/15

Pray Pain

To ask to suffer more for You I dare,
O You Who suffered so much more for me,
to tremulously ask for it in prayer
to seek more pain and voluntarily.

Yet pain we always try hard to avoid,
though for a goal we say, "no pain, no gain,"
but if we hope our soul won't be destroyed,
if there's no pain, we leave our life in vain.

St. Theresa called her suffering a joy,
it gave her soul and sinners some reward,
she prayed to Christ to be His little toy,
to joyfully share the suffering of her Lord.

For love, she said, her pain had an appeal,
God, let me suffer so my love is real.

                    --  by Pete Voelz     8/10

The Me Within

Where is the me that hides inside my body,
the I resides, abides inside my soul,
the self within a life so short and spotty,
that takes all three of me and makes a whole?

This time and place for me I did not choose,
yet in my here and now I’m free to roam,
for body, time and place I only use,
this transitory life is not my home.

The self of short is not the I of long,
it’s fun a while, but heaven’s fun will last,
God does not make me weak to last, but strong,
the future counts, the present soon is past.

Lord, here and now be with my self and I,
I trust You’ll then be with me when I die.

                   by Pete Voelz           7/5/15

Surrender Together

So how can I surrender to the Lord,
Who made me free and placed me in control,
else how am I deserving my reward,
if I am not the captain of my soul?

I must accept, but first need faith and grace,
they are free gifts that I must freely choose,
not to rebel, nor sinning to embrace,
but give myself to God to win--or lose.

Yet in a way, God does surrender too,
He wants me saved, I choose my destiny,
so, Lord, I pray as if all’s up to You,
but work as if it all is up to me.*

We work together, Lord, yet I decide
if I forever will with You abide.

*St. Augustine’s famous dictum

by Pete Voelz         7/4/15

God's Natural love

Since God is love, that’s all He’s got to give,
His nature is to love, so is ours too,
as natural man, we make God’s love to live,
that’s what our love, like God’s, is made to do.

We love like God, our nature is like His,
love means that we obey His natural law,
made in His image, we’re to copy His,
of God, His love, His law we are in awe.

We pass our love and image on to others,
I look like God, my child looks like me,
by nature we’re their fathers and their mothers,
God’s love and ours in them to ever be.

To other ways, Lord, let me not succumb,
Thy will be done, Thy natural Kingdom come.

                            by Pete Voelz         7/3/15

Where Are the Words?

Where are the words to tell what's in my mind?
Where are the ways that can express my heart?
What words and ways to write I cannot find,
I wonder what keeps them so far apart.

God's thundering murmur I can barely hear,
like darkness 'round me I just know it's there,
He whispers to my soul without an ear,
without a word my soul responds in prayer.

God strikes me in a secret chamber place,
somewhere between my heart and my mind's eyes,
He visits with an ocean of His grace,
and offers me a glimpse of Paradise.

What Your love's like that You reveal to me,
I can’t say, Lord, but I can feel and see.

                           -- by Pete Voelz     7/09

Wherever God Is

Wherever God is, there’s His conscience too,
His knowledge, understanding, and His wisdom,
omniscient God, He knows us through and through,
a whiz, His risen business is His whiz-dom.

Wherever God is, there’s His infinite power,
in heaven He is endlessly creative,
He shows His beauty skills in every flower,
He’s never boring, always innovative.

Wherever God is, there His great love is,
a gentle God, up close and personal,
we are His children, all of me is His,
each one of us a special miracle.

You smother us, yet still let us be free
to leave You be, O God of mystery.

                 by Pete Voelz       7/1/15

God's First

Why are You first, O God, why must You be?
The Lamb of God wants me to be a lamb.
But You made me self-centered, selfish me,
yet there is something deeper than I am.

So I must love You first by Your command,
You say I must obey or be a loss,
be humble, not so great as I had planned,
if I must boast, it’s You, Your death, Your cross.

Since You are love, then when I love, I share
in what is best, most beautiful, and true,
I’m anxious to show love in work and prayer,
my heart is restless ‘til it rests in You.*

With You, O Lord, I will become well versed,
to put me last and always put You first.

*St. Augustine’s famous line

                   by Pete Voelz        6/30/15

God's Impregnable There

Why do we most believe in God? He’s there.
It helps to be there to such faith attract,
the God Who made the sweet birds of the air,
why, He’s impregnable when He’s attacked.

The enemies of God, that devilish crew,
can’t hurt a God Who was and always is,
can mere man stop the sky from being blue,
or steal away a world that’s always His?

God’s thereness is most unassailable,
who can deny our lungs their oxygen?
God’s nature rules, He’s supernatural,
He can’t be kicked around by silly men.

God is a fort no weapon can get near,
God’s solid there is just as solid here.

              by Pete Voelz         6/29/15

God Comes to Us

God comes to us in our desire for good,
especially when we do good for His sake,
to trust in Him and not to knock on wood,
and to return in trust after a break.

God comes more when we do more than desire,
He comes more when we start and end the race,
He comes to light, and then to spread, a fire,
to burn us and to heal us with His grace.

God comes best when we've just been reconciled,
and God comes best when grace we least resist,
He comes best when we feed a little child,
like we receive Him in His Eucharist.

There is no time or place where I can be
when You, O loving God, don't welcome me.

                                   -- by Pete Voelz         11/07

Love Miracles

A miracle is just a kind of love,
where God suspends His normal nature rule,
and interferes with power from above,
impressing everybody but the fool.

Here nature is a loving gift to all,
from life to stars to trees to animals,
bent out of Eden's nature by the fall,
yet often healed by loving miracles.

When witnessing a miracle, why scoff?
If God can make a butterfly or flower,
give God a break when He's just showing off
a little hint of His fine infinite power.

Combine my prayer with Your love, Lord, and see
if You might make a miracle for me.

                            -- by Pete Voelz     3/07

With God Alone

O God, we're never quite so unalone
as when we are in prayer alone with You,
we need no email, cell or telephone
to do our fond and welcome rendezvous.

Inside a crowd our soul is lonely still,
the noise and talk do not true solace bring,
the chatter drone and music only fill
the joyless trolling through a soulless fling.

It's true a friend may ease an endless day,
and family make my broken feelings whole,
but only You can take me all the way,
to overflow my empty reeling soul.

If we are busiest thinking on our own,
in prayer we're lonely least with You alone.

                       -- by Pete Voelz         1/04

God Close

O God, I need to feel Your hand in mine,
Your presence, so I do not feel alone,
a helpless human for someone divine,
a personal friend who I can call my own.

I need to know some answers to my prayer,
a spiritual someone listening to me;
I need to sense somebody really there,
an invisible force allowing me to see.

I need some reinforcement for my deeds,
support for the religious risks I take,
some comfort in my growing physical needs,
a steady hand when mine begin to shake.

O God, I pray You heal my ailing soul,
as I stretch out my fingers to my goal.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       2/04

Whim Faith

I love You, God, but only when I want,
yet, faithful God, You love me all the time,
my fickle faith in You is nonchalant,
Your endless faith in me is most sublime.

My aimless love is whimsical and breezy,
Your loyal love is steely, steady, true,
I only want to love You when it's easy,
especially when it's hard, Your love comes through.

About Your love and grace I'm vaguely curious,
I might not know for sure 'til my last breath,
while with them You are supernaturally serious,
You proved to me Your love is life and death.

O God, please help there be some symmetry
between my love for You and Yours for me.

                            -- by Pete Voelz            9/09

The Face of God

"If you see Me, you see the Father too,"
says Christ Who’s near, though God’s so far away.
O Jesus close, I can relate to You,
but how do I get close to great Jahweh?

The Father speaks in stars, You have a face,
yet He put His own image into me,
He shares His message with me, and His grace,
yet One so great must stay a mystery.

His love's so big, He sent His only Son,
to suffer and to die so I can live,
in greater mystery, You're Three in One,
I mostly take, while You Three give and give.

O Spirit of love, most faceless of all Three,
pour out Your grace and put Your face on me.

                                  -- by Pete Voelz       5/09

Gentle God

If God is greater than the world He made,
if He's more powerful than the universe,
yet gently tells us to "be not afraid,"
to give Him thanks and praise we could do worse.

If God dotes on us, counting every hair,
forming us gently in our mother's womb,
flooding us with His tender loving care,
He's worth a weekly worship, we presume.

If God sees all since He's ubiquitous,
and He's omniscient to the Nth degree,
all secrets He already knows of us,
there's no escaping His divine decree.

Yet, perfect God, I am still free to choose
Your gentle company to keep or lose.

                                  by Pete Voelz    

Lovely Cancer Spring

Wet April has shown us the prettiest May,
we view more lovely flowers long showers bring,
I see the contrast stark--like night and day--
the irony of my cancer’s lovely spring.

Invisible and insidious little cells,
the war within that’s not so beautiful,
no roses there, no canterbury bells,
I pray the beauty of a miracle.

Still at a deeper level, war, and goal,
there is no spring to greet, no illness grieve,
only the hope and glory of my soul:
“Blest those who do not see and yet believe.”

As sweet is lovely spring, its flowers’ allure,
Your spring of heaven is, Lord, much lovelier.

                       by Pete Voelz         6/21/15

The Personal Changes

I fear, but God, beyond all fear, does not,
yet I think sometimes God’s afraid for me,
He loves me so, like I am all He’s got,
so when I sin, He takes it personally.

I change, but God, unchanging, does not change,
yet sometimes I cause happy God to weep,
that God can change and be afraid is strange,
that I make Him afraid and change is deep.

O what an immutable, fearless God You are,
unlike us emotional little humans here,
You may be distantly different when You’re far,
but You show personal feelings when You’re near.

My fears and sins and changes take their toll,
on You, close friend, caretaker of my soul.

                           by Pete Voelz       6/20/16

Quiet Anchor

“Let He Who hath the steerage of my course,
direct my sail.” -- Romeo, that fateful eve

You are the quiet anchor on my way,
the silent steerage holding me to course,
speaking Your muted message when I stray,
the gentle friend Who prompts me without force.

You stir the breeze that helps direct my sail,
You steer to port and run to sport my speed,
from storm to stern, You lash me to the rail,
You bend my will to follow still Your lead.

You are the unseen Captain of my bark,
the star I watch for guidance that is true,
with eyes of faith, I track You in the dark,
to cue my crew unto our rendezvous.

O Holy Spirit, firm me in the foam,
and swift by sea please anchor me to home.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       2/10

Soft for God

For You, O God, I know that I should try
to soften my self-centered, stubborn heart,
for me Your heart's so soft that You would die
to keep our souls from staying far apart.

My heart will soften when I look around
and in the face of every person see
a replica of Your face freshly found,
just as You see Your image etched in me.

My heart will soften when I let You in
to humbly inside and in public pray,
when I defer to You instead of sin,
and freely let You take me on Your way.

O Lord with heart so lenient and so soft,
make my hard heart like Yours to hold aloft.

                          -- by Pete Voelz      5/09

The Edge of Cool

Is God like Walmart’s--on the edge of cool?
What must He do to still be popular?
Is He in competition, in a duel,
like Target--victim of some saboteur?

We know God has some potent enemies,
the world, the flesh, the devil pull Him down,
the media’s bandwagon can with ease
change this King of the hill into a clown.

Back fifty years, Time asked if God was dead,
the movies say so--they just leave God out,
we focus on our cell tech toys instead,
on camera, the spiritual has no clout.

Aquarius asks, the Visual Generation,
is it still cool--God’s Word and Revelation?

                        by Pete Voelz         6/17/15

Melanoma Sin

My melanoma cancer of the skin,
they call incurable, deadly and fast,
but in my soul, my melanoma sin,
since God is slow to anger, will not last.

And if my cancer is so deadly too,
my melanoma sin is deadly more,
though cancer ends my body’s battle, true,
sin kills my soul and makes me lose the war.

Unlike my cancer that’s incurable,
my melanoma sins can all be cured,
when I repent, God makes His miracle,
by mercy my forgiveness is ensured.

My cancer death’s but postponed by the knife,
my sins are banished from eternal life.

                            by Pete Voelz         6/16/15

True Identity

Who am I--what’s my true identity?
My first thought is I’m human and a man.
But what’s the most important part of me?
My soul, more than that I’m American.

I am a person like the Trinity,
made in the image of our God on high,
I am a Christian and Christ lives in me,
a temple of the Holy Spirit am I.

But best of all, I am a child of God,
down here, beloved by God Who rules above,
a brother in Christ, a member of His squad,
an heir of heaven, ever in His love.

If I to You stay faithful to the end,
I will, O Lord, forever be Your friend.

                by Pete Voelz         6/15/15

One Heart

Convert my heart, O God, as You desire,
so I can do small acts but with great love,
help me, I pray, to higher things aspire,
from lower kinds I may be fonder of.

My soul is but a pilgrim on my way,
throughout this life and world that I must roam,
my heart may like it here but cannot stay,
these I'll hold not too dear with heaven my home.

Let me make more of You and less of me,
"Thy will be done," O Lord, "instead of mine,"
for You may I love everyone I see,
and merge my love with Your own love divine.

I pray, God, when my earthly journey's done,
our lives, our love, our hopes, our hearts are one.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       12/10

Prodigal Mercy

God favors mercy for me over wrath,
He shows me mercy like His Prodigal Son,
I see the Father there with eyes of faith,
and in the son, myself and everyone.

Of course, the wayward son tells his repentance,
no mercy's shown for those who won't repent,
he says he'll be a servant for his sentence,
but God loves mercy more than punishment.

Sin is so bad because God is so good,
I'm so wrong when the good God I've offended,
as dawn drowns night, where sordid sin has stood
so glows God's light when mercy is extended.

O stubborn sin, I yet will conquer you,
when I repent graced with God's mercy true.

                                         -- by Pete Voelz     8/10

True Magic

We see a lot of magic on TV,
but there are no magicians who are real,
and superheroes are only fantasy.
Why does fake magic have such strong appeal?

There is a yearning for the spiritual,
but we’re not taught about the spiritual things,
we see the fake, blind to a miracle,
that God, the sole magician, brings.

But God just does His thing, and it’s not magic,
He made and changes nature from above,
that we don’t see His miracles is tragic,
this supernatural magician of love.

I want Your magic, Lord, because it’s true,
so I can do some magic love for You.

                    by Pete Voelz         6/12/15

God's Giants

Did You, Lord, make a great mistake with me,
or do I make some great mistakes with You?
You made so big our human dignity,
I’m not aware what to compare it to.

I came to You, Lord, feeling pitiable,
I was a loser, maybe deep in sin,
You fired back, “No, you are beautiful,
so stick with Me, together we will win.

“I made you great, and you are no mistake,
you are beloved by Me, you are a giant,
I made you good and real, you are no fake,
rely on Me to make you self-reliant.”

Make no mistake, if we make ourselves small,
then You can make us giants, Lord, so tall.

                      by Pete Voelz         6/11/15

Consistent God

There is no inconsistency with God,
all has a unity, all fits together,
all harmonized, ruled by His gentle rod,
the boulder sits still by the dancing feather.

The universe exploding from a speck,
a mustard seed of faith that moves a mountain,
looks like a mess and yet is not a wreck,
but ordered chaos, like a fire or fountain.

So are my life, my sins, my body and soul,
they hang together, they do not stand apart,
unisolated pieces, they form a whole,
united by deep longing in my heart.

My fallen self, Lord, future, present, past,
by You all me will be made sense at last.

                   by Pete Voelz         6/10/15

God's Tug-of-War

It’s like They’re in a friendly tug-of-war,
the Father, Son and Spirit Trinity,
each One competes to see Who can do more
to influence and funnel help to me.

The Father says, “I made you out of love,
I made your world, sustain your nature too.”
The Son: “I came to earth from heaven above
to give My life and save your friends and you.”

The Spirit teaches truth, my Church He guides,
and all my creativity inspires.
All work as One, so how can I pick sides?
They promise grace and heaven, all my desires.

With my free will, O Lord, don’t I control
Your gentle competition for my soul?

                    by Pete Voelz         6/9/15

Two Alphas

It all begins with God, with God it ends,
“I am the Alpha and Omega,” Jesus said,
on this alone our destiny depends,
for He will judge the living and the dead.

Yet I live like it starts and ends with me,
I am the one that I must figure out,
it’s history before I came to be,
my here and now’s what I most care about.

If all is God, I can’t be all there is,
if God’s in, then I’m in, for the long haul,
it can’t be mine, if everything is His,
if I don’t rise to Him, then I will fall.

It’s all too much for me, O Lord, that's true,
But if You’re for me, what more can I do?

               by Pete Voelz         6/8/15

Faithful Heart

On Corpus Christi, where’s my faithful heart?
Today His soul and body I receive--
will my poor soul and body do their part?
It’s in my heart and soul I must believe.

There in my mind and soul I have a choice:
Accept God’s gift of faith or now refuse,
faithless--regret, or faithful and rejoice?
Courage my heart! For I must will to choose.

Today I eat His body, drink the cup,
make mine His soul and His divinity,
take courage, faithful heart, do not give up,
return to Him, my soul, the whole of me.

My sins forgiven, let guilt and shame be still,
and faced with choosing faith, O Christ, I will!

                         by Pete Voelz         6/7/15

Infinite Love

If You, O God, love us with infinite love
because You’re God and so love infinitely,
and God is love, that’s all You are made of,
then shed Your love full infinite on me.

You brought Your love to us, Christ, like a flood,
love infinite as God-Man and God’s Son,
and shed Your love in suffering and blood,
I ask for what You have already done.

Your love did not start, nor did it stop, there,
from my beginning I’ve basked and still bask
in infinite love--in work, in sin, in prayer,
for what I have, what need have I to ask?

I need but look, O Lord, to realize
how so much love lies in Your loving eyes.

by Pete Voelz        6/6/15

Surprising Rock

God is a rock, Who strikes me by surprise,
all trustworthy yet unpredictable,
from all directions, always in disguise,
He wakes me up with a little miracle.

His startling GMCs are signs He’s there,*
His presence means He’s One I can rely on,
His personal interest shows His love and care,
giving support--and then a cross to die on.

God catches me before I go astray,
yet leaves me free to distance His control,
though I fly far, He will not go away,
He bides, and plans some new tricks for my soul.

Annoying God, Who will not let me be,
I trust You have a good surprise for me.

*God-Made Coincidences

                           by Pete Voelz       6/5/15

Divine Problems

The Church has problems, for it is divine,
it is Christ’s body, it must perfect be,
thus it should be more God’s, and so less mine,
but in this fallen world, it’s me they see.

We sin, we can’t escape our broken state,
we are the Church’s body, Christ’s the head,
we have an enemy that’s full of hate,
yet by God’s blood and body we are fed.

The Church is real, yet mystery and sign,
taught all truth, Christ said, by the Spirit, our friend,
He founded it by His divine design,
He promised to be with it to the end.

Despite our wrongs, Your Church, O Lord, is true,
I place my faith in it and thus is You.

                             by Pete Voelz         6/4/15

God's Aura

O God, Your mystery deserves respect,
You need some aura or You’d not be God,
how could we puny humans here expect
to run like You when we can barely plod?

We are not capable of understanding
the slightest bit of all Your Godliness,
how vain to think we can be so demanding
to want more for us whom You overbless.

Your Revelation You already give,
Your love, Your grace, Your life, indeed, what more
can we ask for, plus heaven where we shall live
with You--all this we should be grateful for.

Like Your Creation, Lord, Great Architect,
with faith, Your mystery I do respect.

                    by Pete Voelz         6/3/15

Filling the Crevices

So much I do falls through the crevices,
I can’t tell where all my endeavors spread,
I want something to work, but what it does
is go too far and break apart instead.

The towers I build so often develop cracks,
I reach for help from my community,
they bring their aid and sometimes break their backs,
imperfect them to prop imperfect me.

I don’t expect success or many thanks,
what I cannot, let Providence control,
the Spirit comes to fill in all the blanks,
so love and mercy patch my weary soul.

Heal, Lord, my crevices with Your sweet balm,
fill with Your grace the place I need to calm.

                         by Pete Voelz         6/2/15

Mother and Son

If I feel close to Christ since He’s a man,
there’s still some distance for He’s also God,
but Mary is my Mother per God’s plan,
and being close to her is never odd.

At Guadalupe, she said she’s our Mother,
like Christ named her our Mother from the cross,
thus too naming Himself as our own Brother,
to drift away from either--what a loss!

God formed her special with her sinless soul,
though fully human as the human race,
no worship here, her virtues we extol,
we do revere one God made full of grace.

O Mary Mother mine, stay close to me,
and pray for us who have recourse to thee.

(GMC--on-line story I saw today about Pope
Francis’s great devotion to our Mother Mary as
her son, after I wrote this poem this morning.)

                            by Pete Voelz     6/1/15

Trinity of Love

(On the Feast of the Holy Trinity)

I know the Trinity is Three in One,
the Bible puts all Three at the Creation.*
Their names are Father, Holy Spirit, Son,
God shows Them in His Scriptural Revelation.

At Christ’s baptism, the Spirit was a Dove,
"He's My Beloved Son,” the Father said,
“In Our three names,” Christ later spoke with love,
“let all be baptized and the Gospel spread.”

The angel told, at Mary’s Annunciation
that Spirit and Father would help her be with child.
And later on at Christ’s Transfiguration,
the Dove appeared, the Father spoke and smiled.

Except for Christ, They act in unity,
our Trinity of love and mystery.

*“all things were made through Him (the Word).” John 1:1
“the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters,” Gen. 1:2

                                    by Pete Voelz         5/31/15

My Anchors

God and His Church are anchors here for me,
both universal, all mine, everywhere,
providing Scripture, prayers, and liturgy,
a stream of grace and fellowship to share.

Served in persona Christi by our priest,
our Church His body and our pastor, Christ,
His body too our Eucharistic feast,
our Sacrificer and our Sacrificed.

His heavenly Kingdom is my anchor goal,
on earth His Kingdom Church, my anchor base,
our friendship is the anchor of my soul,
He anchors through His Kingdom with His grace.

In all these ways, O God, I anchor You,
You and Your Kingdom are my anchors true.

                            by Pete Voelz         5/30/15

Always There

I have a prayer I pray before I pray,
but then before I pray it, I’m aware
the One Who never ever goes away
is then with me as He is always there.

To come to me I do not have to ask,
instead it’s I must go to Him, I know,
I must be real, I have to drop the mask,
I’m here because I’ve nowhere else to go.

It’s best in dark and quiet when we’re alone,
not just to pray, but mostly listen too,
my life, my sins, my future I must own,
like His, I must make sure my voice is true.

To hear and pray, I too must do my part,
for when we meet together in my heart.

                    by Pete Voelz         5/29/15

The Sign of the Soul

The living do not want to think of death,
the dying want to cling to their own life,
the living want to hide from their last breath,
the dying--to end the struggle and the strife.

The soul looks for a miracle, a sign,
it finds one in acceptance of its fate,
we’re meant to follow nature by design,
to see the end is glory, and then wait.

We come to know God made us by His care,
He loved us so He died to set us free,
He gives us no more pain than we can bear,
He sets the soul to see its destiny.

I give You all, O Lord, to reach the goal,
to see and love--the deep signs of my soul.

                       by Pete Voelz         5/28/15

Love's Grace

Life is a package wrapped in grace and pain,
one is so plain, one is invisible,
one loads life down with sweat and tears and chain,
one lifts it up, a kind of miracle.

Love glows in drip drops, then leaps like a flood,
it beams its light and lets us see the grace,
pain stabs a while, draws suffering and blood,
love, grace embrace ‘til pain is but a trace.

Faith opens up our hope for love’s sweet end,
hope turns my face to gaze on what’s above,
made in His image, I become His friend,
life’s package opens, and all that’s left is love.

Faith, hope and grace reveal that life is best
when pain succumbs to love’s eternal rest.

                          by Pete Voelz         5/27/15

No Prayer, Almost

I have no need, I don’t know how to pray,
there’s nothing new I have to say to You,
as for the Creed I very seldom say,
I’m not so sure that half of it is true.

Where is Your voice that I’m supposed to hear,
Your presence far away I do not feel?
How can I talk to One Who’s never near,
invisible and silent, barely real?

I’m busy, what lately have You done for me?
The friends I have--none of them seem to care,
we never talk about our destiny,
we live as if there’s no there really there.

Unworthy, undeserving of reward,
I throw myself upon Your mercy, Lord.

                    by Pete Voelz       5/26/15

A Perfect God

What is the best part of a perfect God?
That God is goodness with no hint of bad?
That He is truth without a false facade?
That God is happiness, so never sad?

That He is beauty with no ugly side?
That God is loving and thus full of care?
That He is honest with no thing to hide?
That God is loyal and so always there?

St. John defined Him once, that God is love,
and perfect, with no parts, He is one whole,
then we conclude that He's all the above,
though one good part is God lives in my soul.

I like God best as giver and forgiver,
for giving me forgiveness for forever.

-- by Pete Voelz     1/05

Those Forty Days (Part 2)

Those days, Christ also showed His Godly side,
He was alive for He had conquered death,
no ghost, He truly lived, He truly died,
He gave the Spirit to them just by His breath.

They touched His wounds, they shared the fish He ate,
saw Him a lot, five hundred at one time,
they worshipped Him, “My Lord and God”--so great,
they watched Him walk through walls, a God sublime.

“O ye of little faith, be not afraid,
blest those who do not see yet do believe,”
for those with doubts, “Peace be to you, He prayed,
“for soon the Holy Spirit you will receive.”

At last You, Lord, ascended into heaven,
thanks for Your life--and mine--and all You’ve given.

                     by Pete Voelz         5/24/15

God Proves

God doesn't have to prove Himself to me,
and yet He proves Himself to me each day,
God doesn't need me, He's content and free,
yet He shows proof in almost every way.

He makes the universe, the sea and sky,
the maple tree from just a tiny seed,
He forms a star while I stand, gaping, by,
a darling child, what more proof do I need?

Why does He have to prove to me so much?
He loves me so, and gives me proof to know,
my fragile faith needs something strong to clutch,
and His proof helps my faith to stronger grow.

Instead of, Lord, a skeptic attitude,
I take Your love and proof with gratitude.

  -- by Pete Voelz    

God's Gifts

           (Pentacost -- this Sunday)

O Holy Spirit, You come with seven gifts,
like piety, that humble holiness,
and counsel when we give a word that lifts,
You rain Your grace with qualities that bless.

Then intellectual traits that stir the mind--
with knowledge that we need You fill us up,
with understanding so we are unblind,
and best You let us drink from wisdom’s cup.

O Spirit, You strengthen us with fortitude,
the courage to follow You, not cowardly sin,
fear of the Lord, a sort of angel food--
respect our awesome God Who helps us win.

Your gifts make strong our faith at Confirmation,
and send the devil away in consternation.

                       by Pete Voelz        4/12/15

God's Place

God is not there, just as He is not here,
God has no place, He's a relationship,
outside of space, He has no far or near,
He is no iceberg and He has no tip.

God's bigger than the universe we see,
yet He's not big at all, He has no size,
He is a riddle in a mystery,
most known of all, still such a big surprise.

God's not a thing, yet He's a person true,
without a start or end, He'll always be;
a vast continuum of love for you,
He is a close and personal friend for me.

O God, if we have no kinship of place,
we share a consanguinity of grace.

His Miracle Sword

God sent His Son, but sent Him here well armed,
His miracles proved His power came from God,
not from the devil were His miracles charmed,
a house divided falls like a facade.

Christ sent Apostles out to preach His word,
their miracles would prove their Church was true,
His promised miracles meant they would be heard,
not stopping there, His saints did miracles too.

Then Christ sent Mother Mary back to earth,
at Fatima and Lourdes she did appear,
her shrines have proved how much her words are worth,
thousands of miracles occur each year.

When critics shout and doubts arise, O Lord,
Your miracles cut their folly like a sword.

                          by Pete Voelz         5/19/15

Those Forty Days

For forty days the Risen Christ remains,
what does He do before He goes to heaven?
St. Peter as His leader He sustains:
“Do you love Me? Feed My sheep, you’re forgiven.”

He orders them to do four sacraments:
“Forgive their sins and then their sins are gone.”
He blesses, breaks the bread, as they would hence,
and “Baptize all in our names from now on.”

He promises His Spirit He would send,
Who would confirm their faith at Pentacost,
and will, as He, defend them to the end.
“Teach all My Gospel so none will be lost.”

I need not see Your wounds, I do not fear
to trust Your Church, Lord, that You left us here.

                       by Pete Voelz         5/18/15

Squeeze God In

Sometimes it's hard, O God, to squeeze You in,
I'm buzy with a million things to do,
and fallen me, I take time out to sin,
and I must have some leisure hours too.

My physical providing takes much time,
to exercise, to eat, to shop, to sleep,
my schedule leaves few spots for the sublime,
and I must earn my and my family's keep.

My mind is filled with worries, problems, cares,
my health is failing as I run the race,
I can't expect much from sporadic prayers,
amidst the storm, I feel few gusts of grace.

For wasted time, Lord, let me be forgiven,
so You can hopefully squeeze me into heaven.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       2/08

Patient Prayer

I ask You, Lord, what good it does to pray
for something over days and months and years,
You answer us in Your mysterious way,
due to the prayer and sacrifice and tears.

You often wait and ask that we should wait,
not be discouraged by the silence there,
it seems our words pile up at heaven’s gate,
but You hear all, there is no wasted prayer.

You seek our patience and our faith the most,
the waiting puts our virtues to the test,
it finally’s not our praying we should boast,
to praise and boast Your greatness is the best.

Your good advice--submission to these three--
first faith, then patience, then humility.

                     by Pete Voelz       5/16/15

God with a Face

It's hard to pray to One Who has no face,
Whose awesome name makes Him seem far away,
Whose arc of power's impossible to trace,
Whose picture we don't have, it's hard to pray,

But easier to the One Whose words are sweet,
Whose face and images are full of love,
Someone Who we are not afraid to meet,
Who's close to us below, not high above.

Incarnate Christ, You took on our same dust,
in joining us, You seem more here than there,
Your loving life and death evoke our trust,
it's easier to turn to You in prayer.

O Jesus, with Your ways so warm and true,
I find in prayer I more relate to You.

                               -- by Pete Voelz       2/07

Faithfulness and Faith

What hope do I see rising from my life?
I see my faith, and I see faithfulness.
Is anything better than a faithful wife?
How glad I’m now that I’ve been faithful, yes.

My faith I’ve felt sustained me all the way,
God and His Church, the mountains by my side,
have guarded, guided, nourished me each day,
these last few days I think I will abide.

What can, O Lord, I finally pass along?
Work hard, run hard so as to win the race,
bounce swift from sin so your sweet soul is strong,
stay faithful to stay in the state of grace.

It doesn’t take a genius to see
my faithfulness and faith still rescue me

by Pete Voelz        5/14/15

Love Not Too Far

It’s hard to love You, Lord, from far away,
when love can float around and just pretend,
say love today if not said yesterday,
keep at arm’s length the One I call my friend.

What love is there if I don’t read Your word,
if in Your church You never see me stand,
if in Your choir my voice is never heard,
if I claim love and then break Your command?

What can I do to bring Your love more near?
My public prayer shows You I don’t resist,
so I praise and defend You without fear,
take You inside me in Your Eucharist.

To know Your love is not too far from me,
let me be close to You as close can be.

                 by Pete Voelz         5/13/15

Fatima Miracles

Dear Friends, we all have got a job to do,
this anniversary of year 98,
we need to find a miracle or two,
to make three children saints to celebrate.

Francisco and Jacinta canonized,
with Sister Lucia soon beatified,
that they are siants no one should be surprised,
but all the rules must first be satisfied.

‘Twas May thirteenth in 1917,
Blest Mary did appear to them in blue,
six times she and her miracles were seen,
all her historical predictions true.*

She asked the Rosary for peace we’d pray,
so in two years we celebrate this day.

* Mainly the end of communism in Russia.

                     by Pete Voelz     5/12/15

The Old in the New

(Mass at St. Joan of Arc’s in Toledo today)

When entering a church we do not know,
all things at first so much dissimilar seem;
the candles from unusual spaces glow,
the rays from different stained glass windows gleem.

The strangers file into distinctive pews,
the unfamiliar priest sings down the aisle;
our eyes explore so many unknown cues,
we miss the accustomed sights and similar style.

Then suddenly the familiar rite begins,
we make the usual signing of the cross;
we pray God take away the same old sins,
the priest says routine prayers with little gloss.

We're awed with just how much all parts persist
in whatever church we pray our Eucharist.

                        -- by Pete Voelz         5/11/15

Only Praise

God knows what my petitions are, and needs,
He sees them all before I even pray,
He ponders all my thoughts and words and deeds,
so prayers of praise are all the prayers I say.

God likes to answer prayers before they’re prayed,
He’s pleased with praise before it’s even raised,
and long before we’ve asked, He’s planned His aid,
and then can’t wait to hear how much He’s praised.

Some prayers of praise are thanks for all He’s given,
and some are sorrow for the sins I’ve done,
we join our praise with that of those in heaven,
and share our happy praise in joy and fun.

I raise my voice in loud or silent praise,
to set my heart and Yours, O Lord, ablaze.

by Pete Voelz         5/8/15

God Out There

When I say, "God's out there," what do I mean?
His there is further out than any there,
with nature's things He does not intervene
because He permeates them everywhere.

His big bang burst of light began Creation,
the stars spread outward at the speed of light,
His finger formed its first and firm foundation
that pushes back the infinite tide of night.

Why did He go to such great lengths to make
a world so soon corrupted by a man?
Yet in our fallen state He won't forsake
the ones who reach above His starry span.

God stretches far beyond our puny science
to show how much He is our soul reliance.

                                  by Pete Voelz

God on Display

God’s on display with Moses, Jesus, and me,
He split the Red Sea with His mighty hand,
and led His Chosen People to be free,
then through the desert to the Promised Land.

God blessed Christ’s supper in the upper room,
then led Him to the cross, each nail a knife,
and through His death and three days in the tomb,
then from His shroud to Resurrected life.

Now God leads me, a slave to deadly cancer,
through death’s dark land led by His hand of love,
providing time for praying as my answer
to dying and His promised life above.

Like cross and seas, so too my dark disease,
Lord, You display Your care and mysteries.

                  by Pete Voelz        5/6/15
                    pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Defer to God

I do defer to God because He knows
much more than I do, He knows everything,
I am so ignorant, and how it shows,
He brings so much compared to what I bring.

Since God is love, to Him I do defer,
what I have felt of love is what He’s shown,
His love has come to me so strong and sure,
I’ve tried to take and make His love my own.

And I defer to God for strength and grace,
I only am as strong as He makes me,
to gain His grace, I need to give Him space
for prayer, repentance, and humility.

To have all these, what makes the difference?
In faith to choose them free with deference.

                         by Pete Voelz         5/5/15
                          pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Mother Mary's May

May is the month we dedicate to Mary,
we honor mothers on their Mother’s Day,
Mary’s our Mother super-honorary,
Mother of God and man more than just May.

May brings us spring, and all the beautiful flowers
do honor to our mother Mary true,
no goddess, yet blest with God-given powers,
bestowed by Christ, the Son she leads us to.

As Mother of our God, what else is left?
She’s Mother of us all and everything,
without her “Yes,” we would be all bereft
of our Redeemer, Christ her Son and King.

In May and spring when everything is green,
let’s honor Mother Mary, heaven’s Queen.

                             by Pete Voelz       5/2/15
                             pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

All You Do

O God, I shrink before Your size and might,
Your greatness overwhelms my littleness,
and yet You deign to visit me at night
to show me I am great to You no less.

You stoop so low to raise me so high up,
though You need barely glance my humble way,
You bide to fill my never empty cup,
that runneth over with Your love each day.

You plucked me out of nothingness to be,
You formed my life as all about me swirled
Your soup of stars to vast infinity,
and let me share Your Lordship for this world.

How can I not in all humility
bow low in thanks for all You do for me.

                          -- by Pete Voelz          9/05

God's Own Magic

(Dedicated to Harry Potter and friends)

St. Peter did not have a magic wand,
he merely used his shadow to aid the sick,
and said the name of Jesus to respond
to the crippled’s plea and cure him so quick.

St. Joseph Cupertino did not fly
upon a broomstick, no, he simply flew,
St. Anthony used no magician’s lie
to cure their souls and then their bodies too.

At Lourdes, France the young St. Bernadette
cured no one, but saw Mary by power divine,
like Guadalupe’s Juan Diego, yet
St. Mary cures thousands at each shrine.

Though magic tales are fun and wonderful,
God lets His saints do many a miracle.

                         by Pete Voelz       5/1/15
                            pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Three Ways My Friend

God’s not just God, He is my personal friend,
He made my time unto eternity,
for everything, on Him I do depend,
He clearly is superior to me.

God made Himself my equal since we share
our humanness, He came from up above
to be like us, and someday take us there,
and raise us all up equal in His love.

Christ came to serve, to be our servant true,
to humbly make Himself inferior,
show mercy to us for the sins we do,
to be less than us so we could be more.

O friendly God, I’m grateful for Your grace,
that wipes out differences with little trace.

                        by Pete Voelz       4/30/15

A Tenth of God

I think I know a tenth or so of God,
yet how much is that of infinity?
Just even one percent--that would be odd,
what’s one per cent of total mystery?

That’s why in Scripture’s lines Himself He shows,
He wants a part--a tenth?--to be revealed,
He can’t be too mysterious, He knows,
what good’s a God Who is too much concealed?

Our God-man Christ gave us a hundred per cent,
He left His infinitely happy home above,
His life, His death, all that He had He spent,
what more is there to know than such great love?

To me, O God, You need not prove or show
more than Your total love I already know.

                          by Pete Voelz        4/28/15
                          pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

His Faith in Me

Lately I find God puts His faith in me,
as I ask Him a favor when I pray,
already He’s sent me a GMC,*
at night I pray for what He’s done today.

Yet this has been His policy all along,
God showed His faith before I drew a breath,
and He forgives before I do a wrong,
He has prepared my heaven before my death.

Why does God put His faith in me before
He sees that I don’t live up to His grace?
For He already foretells what’s in store,
yet He mysteriously keeps up the chase.

I do not want to see Your faith disgraced,
let not Your faith in me, Lord, be displaced.

*GMC--God-Made Coincidence

                     by Pete Voelz        4/28/15
                    pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Seizing the Day

O fleeting youth, enjoying every day,
beware your carpe diem isn't wrong;
the pleasure time you seize that cannot stay
is not just for your women, wine and song.

While shines the sun, the time's for making hay,
the transitory fun is only long
when love and friends are true in your bouquet
and ties to those in memory's store are strong.

There is, of course, a place for hours of play,
but don't just ape the follies of the throng;
sometimes alone we need prepare the way
for future joy than just now to belong.

Yes, stop to smell the roses on display,
but save up God's good blessings while you pray.

                                 by Pete Voelz      10/04

God to Me

First there was God, then His all-good Creation,
He saw our sin and promised a Savior-Son,
God wrote a book, with His Self-Revelation,
Christ came and died, with our salvation won.

Christ rose and left, but said He would abide,
He built His Church upon a rock so true,
He sent His Holy Spirit as a guide,
and promised He would keep it ever new.

Then God made me to help His plan succeed,
gave me His Spirit to guide me on our way,
His sheep I too am called upon to feed,
Christ gives Himself as food for me each day.

So much of this is garbed in mystery,
yet clear’s the line, O God, from You to me.

                          by Pete Voelz         4/26/15
                         pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Leaving Christ

If I leave Christ, I have to go somewhere,
I know there is no better place to go;
where can I go to end up in a prayer?
For leaving Him, what would I have to show?

Christ is my life, my food, my meat and drink,
He is the flesh and blood on which I feed;
in my food chain He is the strongest link,
He is the Eucharist I know I need.

What is there in this world compared to Him?
Who else is there who's done so much for me?
For who else would I give my life and limb?
Who else can say I am His cup of tea?

For Him all my life long I've sacrificed,
what would I be if I stayed not with Christ?

                               -- by Pete Voelz      5/04

Flower Power

A flower is the opposite of power,
it has no strength except its passing beauty,
it cannot cause a lady bug to cower,
a daffodil but droops to do its duty.

A flower just reflects the will of heaven,
without our eyes it still obeys its nature,
without our sins, no need to be forgiven,
a rose is still a rose, no nomenclature.

Yet flowers have great power to attract,
they simply show themselves with no facade,
so beautiful, they never are attacked,
a lily needs no other knight but God.

But lilac, with your beauty from above,
you lack my beauty to forever love.

           by Pete Voelz         4/24/15
           pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Shroud of Love

I looked and saw dead Jesus on a shroud,
not Father there, nor Holy Spirit dove,
placed peaceful, plain, not humble yet not proud,
disfigured, scourged, and crucified for love.

The bloody thorn-like wounds above His face,
not on His palms, the nail holes through each wrist,
compelling pity, yet projecting grace,
my loving Jesus of the Eucharist.

The scientists have examined every bit,
its pollen traced to ancient Palestine,
no paint or pigment does the image fit,
this photographic negative divine.

Christ, I confess this Turin relic true,
a nuclear-blasted picture made of You.

                     by Pete Voelz        4/23/15

Faith and Faithfulness

What good is faith without the faithfulness?
Can I have faith and be disloyal too,
claim to believe, and then choose to digress?
For what is faith, if not faith through and through?

Christ is our model, where we see true faith,
He said, “Not My will, but Thy will be done.”
So faithful was He--all the way to death,
He proved Himself a loyal, faithful Son.

True faith is when we practice what we preach,
real faithfulness expressed in loyalty,
what Christ taught then, so now His Church does teach,
not my will, Lord, but my humility.

My faithfulness is not just what I choose,
but follow You, if You were in my shoes.

                         by Pete Voelz         4/22/15
                      pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

The Waves of God

Not at some point, God comes to us in waves,
He made the big bang world with waved design,
and heaven for all the waves of those He saves,
with order, beauty, glory and all mine.

God brought His waves of love and life to me,
my body, soul, self-consciousness and worth,
imagination, reason, dignity,
and waves of friends relating to on earth.

God gives me waves of choices, time and space,
and powers of health and talent to enlist,
freedom to love and use God's waves of grace,
and waves of God Himself in Eucharist.

God, flood me with Your waves of mercy too,
and ever I'll send loving waves to You.

                                     by Pete Voelz

Saint Friends

How to befriend someone you cannot see,
and how to talk to one you cannot hear?
By faithful prayer, friends we will come to be,
this “Cloud of Witnesses” that’s ever near.

For friends like these whose lives are spiritual
can see and hear us every day and hour,
in heaven such miracles are natural,
nothing’s impossible with Godly power.

Their world--eternal, spiritual--is more real,
the more we enter it with faithful prayer,
its goodness, truth and beauty they reveal,
the more we’ll recognize each other there.

Our earthly friends we’ll have to leave behind,
but not our old saint-friends in heaven we find.

                 by Pete Voelz        4/20/15

The Tapestry of Grace

The strength of grace is like a tapestry,
each strand is long, unbroken, and unfrayed,
up close or far, the weave’s pure quality,
our broken virtues woven in each braid.

Grace does not make us good, God made us good,
but in a fallen world, grace makes us best,
we artists of ourselves, it’s understood,
weave best we can, and God does all the rest.

The strands of grace God gives are very strong,
God don’t make junk, His grace is more than gold,
our tapestry of grace will last us long,
His favor, friendship, power is of old.

At death we’ll see our tapestry as whole,
God’s woven grace in my most grateful soul.

by Pete Voelz         4/17/15
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

God's Dream

God’s dream--bring all to heaven when we die,
His foe tries hard to thwart what He's begun,
“Go forth,” says God, “increase and multiply,”
in marriage He makes “two become as one.”

A man, a woman, husband and his wife,
from their love comes a child, our greatest joy,
with God they co-create a human life,
the natural parents raise their girl or boy.

God plans we all will be His family,
He wants a flood of children for His dream,
our families formed like His own Trinity,
so He opposes any preventive scheme.

I steer my soul for Paradise with a prayer,
that in God’s dream and family I will share.

                     by Pete Voelz         4/18/15
               pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Holocaust and War at 70

Today I watched kids play a game of Yahtzee,
tonight some footage on the Holocaust,
would I have been a faithful little Nazi?
O God, how could a people be so lost?

O where was I, O Lord, O where were You?
Unknowing, I found comfort in my home,
my first five years I lived through World War II,
and now I find discomfort in my poem.

It’s easy to blame Hitler for their woes,
I’d like to think that heaven heard their cry,
each fallen victim, soldier someone chose,
but why did fifty million have to die?

The questions hover still rhetorical,
the hard-fact answers live historical.

                by Pete Voelz       4/17/15
        pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Love's Fortitude

Love gives me strength I did not know I had,
the courage to be patient, gentle, kind,
to not get angry and not to stay mad,
instead God’s grace and peace to keep in mind.

Love does not send some evil end to others,
not violence, revenge, nor striking fear,
not seeing them as enemies, but brothers,
but mercy show and wipe away the tears.

Love’s fortitude does not reside in pride,
not the almighty I, nor first is me,
to see God deified, not be defied,
and live the courage of humility.

Almighty Lord of love, Your strength is true,
so for love’s fortitude, I turn to You.

Melody of Prayer

Each day I offer all, a prayer lifelong,
I turn my prayer into a melody,
my life’s not just a prayer, it is a song,
to be a melody for God and me.

To God Who gives me all, what shall I bring?
At least a life to offer Him in prayer,
like bards of old, my words I want to sing,
and so make bold the prayer just waiting there.

To serve the song, the words must somewhere start,
the lines aimed to delight and to console,
composed of prayers beginning in my heart,
born in the grateful wishes of my soul.

Though life shall end, my song shall not be done,
a melody, O Lord, that’s just begun.

                     by Pete Voelz          4/15/15

God Knows All

God knows it all, how could I dare rebel?
The only reason is my stupid pride.
Not I, but He created every cell,
of 99 percent I'm mystified.

God loves me so, why must I so resist?
I'm wed to sin and then perhaps to shame,
I know without Him I would not exist,
before His power, my pride is pretty lame.

I can succeed if I cooperate,
I owe God every little thing I own,
before His love, why do I hesitate?
It's like I think I do it all alone.

O God, You know, You make, You love it all,
help me to answer true Your caring call.

                        -- by Pete Voelz         6/05

Day of Mercy

What day is this when mercy is divine?*
Christ proved His love when He from heaven came,
He lived, He died, He rose--all by design,
He said His mercy is “love’s second name.”

God’s mercy is His greatest quality,
the center of the Gospel and our faith,
His flood of mercy sinks sins in the sea,
when we repent, He grants abounding grace.

Christ spoke all this to Sister Saint Faustina,**
His mercy brought through prayer and sacrament,
by His Chaplet of Mercy or novena,
plus with a plenary indulgence sent.

For great and boundless sins we have unpaid,
Christ gives more mercy, so “Be not afraid!”

* Feast of Divine Mercy -- first Sunday after Easter.
** Jesus appeared to her many times a century ago in
Poland and told her of His mercy and these promises.

                           by Pete Voelz       4/11/15