Holy Holy Week

Where are you, World, when it is Holy Week?
We’ve seen Him raise friend Lazarus from the dead!
We’ve heard the crowds with hallelujahs shriek!  
Switch gears--to see true holiness instead:

On Thursday comes His Holy Eucharist,
His humble washing of their holy feet,
Friday will show Him at His holiest,
to drag His holy cross along the street.

The holy crown, the holy nails and spear,
the holy blood drenching the holy ground,
the God Who sent our Holy Savior here,
His holy love that makes the world go ‘round.

At last the holy Resurrection Day,
from death, the Holy God Who got away.

                            by Pete Voelz       3/31/15

Tugging God

O God, I feel You tugging at my heart,
I feel my sense of duty call me too,
You've always stirred my loyalty from the start,
I must turn my attentiveness to You.

O Lord, I can't help marvelling at Your work,
I often see in someone else Your face,
I sense in every molecule You lurk,
how much I have experienced Your grace.

For all You've given me I owe a lot,
I feel my gifts and powers I must use,
rebellion and resentment I feel not,
You make an offer that I can’t refuse.

There's nothing, Lord, to hush Your gentle call,
let nothing stint my echo offering all.

                            -- by Pete Voelz          10/08

The Watcher 2

I sleep, and God, Who does not sleep, sees me,
I'm still, but God, awake, still hears me breathe,
I helpless lie, as God bides tenderly,
I'm all alone with One who'll never leave.

It’s dark, but saints I call light up my mind,
though quiet, they listen to my voice in prayer,
eyes closed, I am still anything but blind,
by faith, I see God's angels join us there.

God never is alone in watching us,
He brings a multitude community,
we fools expect God is some blunderbuss,
but He's a breeze of whispering Trinity.

Our watching God, Who shakes the universe,
is quiet, patient, bountiful and terse.

-- by Pete Voelz  

Welcome Christ

We welcome You, O Christ, we wave our palms,
as once Creation did, and all the earth,
as did the Covenant, told by the Psalms,
and like the star that welcomed You at birth.

We’ll see You coming with Your cross this week,
then dying, from the tomb we’ll see You rise,
You came with Baptism for the goal we seek,
the welcome promised heaven as the prize.

Your Church processing this day celebrates
the welcome of the crowds which still persist
in chanting to their King that resonates
at Mass to welcome Him in Eucharist.  

As we have welcomed You so much before,
O Christ, we pray You welcome us forevermore.

                           by Pete Voelz        3/28/15

Spirit of Love

Not just a Holy Ghost or Spirit, but love,
the love between the Father and the Son,
a Godly Person pictured as a dove,
Third of the Trinity that acts as One.

Some hate the O.T. God--they say He’s mean,
some scoff at Christ--His life, divinity,
what do they feel of You, the God unseen,
less Lord or Person, just a mystery?

O Spirit of love Who comes at Confirmation
with seven gifts, You need Your rightful place,
at Pentacost You birthed a holy nation,
a Church You strengthen still and fill with grace.

I praise and thank You, ghostly spiritual guide,
inspiring me with Your quiet voice inside.

                          by Pete Voelz       3/26/15

Big God and Little God

Big God and Little God are really One,
yet they fight for my almost worthless soul,
Big God gets angry, Little God’s more fun,
one pays my way, the other takes a toll.

Big God Almighty gives us His commands,
yet to the softer voice I more respond,
I feel the Small One better understands,
and so of Him I find myself more fond.

Big God has my respect and loyalty,
when things get rough, I want Him at my side,
but Little God I like closest to me,
His love and mercy will, I know, abide.

I love them both, there is no separation,
for me with both there is no hibernation.

               by Pete Voelz        3/25/15

On Incarnation Day

Christ first arrived on Incarnation Day,
nine months before His famous Christmas birth,
from that first hour He came to us to stay,
from happy heaven, He dropped to sinful earth.

When Mary gave her yes, Christ was conceived,
Divine and human, He was like no other,
His Spirit and flesh incarnate was achieved,
united God-Man thus made her God’s mother.

March 25th God sent great Gabriel here,
the maid agreed to his Annunciation,
more than Christ’s birth, this day should give us cheer,
for He became Emmanuel Incarnation.

O Christ, let’s celebrate March twenty-five,
since then You’ve been with us--Divine, alive.

                                    by Pete Voelz       3/24/15

Trusting God 2

Now in my desperation, Lord, I learn
to set aside my fear and in You trust,
with nowhere else to go to You I turn,
and put my faith in You because I must.

I must for You already know it all,
I may not even pray, just throw a glance,
Your name flicks through my mind, no need to call,
no gamble, risk, coincidence or chance.

My trust in You is strong before I pray,
You know my prayer before, my desperate plea,
my trust tells me You’ll solve it Your own way,
You never fail to give Your help to me.

The only question is how quick I go
to You, the One most trustworthy I know.

                      -- by Pete Voelz  

The Life of God

I cannot wait to go to live with God,
to cross the threshold to eternal life,
to pass on through that spiritual facade,
to cut the web between us with death's knife.

Yet has not God already made me live?
My life began when He created me.
Do I not have now but one life to give?
I've started life for all eternity.

Christ told us that His Kingdom has begun,
He said His Kingdom lies within us here,
it does not start just when this life is done,
in facing life we conquer death and fear.

Our life to God's is a continuum,
faith shows me, Lord, I've seen Thy Kingdom come.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       7/05

Our Conformity posted 3/20

To His command God calls us to conform
to love, not to the shouting herd,
in public or inside He sets the norm,
and asks us to obey His holy word.

The world puts pressure on for us to join,
that it conforms to Him, what are the odds?
Conform to Caesar when he’s on the coin,
but give to God the things we know are God’s.

You give us, Lord, Your Gospel to observe,
You made a Church for our conformity,
the poor, oppressed, and sick You ask we serve,
and what You ask of us, You ask of me.

O Lord, let us keep our conformity,
as I conform to You and You to me.

                        by Pete Voelz         3/18/15

St. Joseph Patron 2

(On March 19, the feast of St. Joseph)

With child by God, the angel in a dream
told you about the Mary you would marry,
the Mother of the Son come to redeem,
a life for you at once profound and scary.

Still young and virile, carpenter by trade,
Christ’s foster dad, Patron of Purity,
protector of the ever-virgin maid,
you are called Patron Saint of Family.

Fulfilling prophecies of David’s line
and Bethlehem, in Christ’s young life immersed,
the Universal Church’s Patron fine,
you're named the Workers' Patron on May first.

O Joseph, Patron of a Happy Death,
please bring God’s Spouse and Son to my last breath.

                             by Pete Voelz  --    

Deep Real

There is a deep and quiet place in me,
where I meet God and my real self sincere,
where I find the most honest place to be,
where I do not know worry, care or fear.

From here I can see all the universe
with my mind’s eye, and God with eyes of faith,
in God immersed, the galaxies disperse,
no matter now my life, nor yet my death.

God touches me, and I can hear His voice,
I sense I’m standing close before His face,
I feel a swelling love--I have no choice,
as He inebriates me with His grace.

How sad my words are solely sensual,
while You, God, are deep, real and spiritual.

                       by Pete Voelz       3/18/15

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick just might be the greatest saint,
right up there with Saints Joseph, Francis, Mary,
in Britain as a boy, a saint he ain’t,
yet now more famed than Cork or Londonderry.

This Irish slave boy prays all night and day,
escapes to home, he follows what God planned:
bring back his Catholic faith a priest and stay,
convert all his beloved Ireland.

His Church this faithful Catholic bishop carries
throughout the island’s missions without fear,
abroad he sends his Day and missionaries,
most celebrated feast day of the year.

Instead of getting drunk this happy day,
thank God for Patrick, go to Mass, and pray.

                       by Pete Voelz        3/17/15

The Shift of Faith

With God so close, there's not much leap to be,
yet with this step, we shouldn't be slipshod;
the leap of faith is not to faith from me,
it is instead a shift from me to God.

Philosophers who see all leaps as big
may be reluctant to step out so far;
the scientist, if proud to be a prig,
with all his smarts may set too high the bar.

But don't forget that faith is first a gift,
if we but listen, we will hear the call;
inside, God simply asks our soul to shift,
accept the gift and there's no leap at all.

O God, I pray, since heaven is the goal,
help me to try this slight shift by my soul.

                       -- by Pete Voelz        12/05

Love and Innocence

God shows His innocence in kids and pets,
they’ve never sinned, and never sinned has He,
they’re as naturally innocent as this world gets,
a kind of grace now lost to you and me.

They say that our own innocence can show
when they love us, for they sense we love them,
our state of grace gives innocence they know,
like we love in the babe of Bethlehem.

Yet our best innocence and state of grace
is when our hateful sins have been forgiven,
our souls cleaned when God’s mercy we embrace,
our love restored, we are prepared for heaven.

Since God’s the source of love and innocence,
in kids and pets and us it’s Him we sense.

                       by Pete Voelz         3/15/15

Good Francis Catholic

For two years now, Good Francis has been pope,
although he feels a common priest at heart,
he speaks for Christ--His love, our faith and hope,
he’s Catholic whole, not Catholic just in part.

He speaks for life, traditional marriage too,
the blind spots of the media atheist,
Good Francis is a Catholic through and through,
He eats Christ in his daily Eucharist.

He kisses babies, poor sick people’s feet,
he smiles for the cameras, no complaint,
they think he’s swell, the liberal elite,
he canonizes tough John Paul a saint.

He prays, and likes our miracles, you bet!
Good Francis is a Catholic, don’t forget.

           by Pete Voelz           3/14/15  

Closer to God - 2

from Monday, December 31, 2012

Closer to God - 2       3/13/15 to Proud and friends only

I'm not as close to God when I'm alone,
as I am close to Him when I'm with you,
for with each other we are in His zone,
as we are all made in His image true.

"Whatever you do to each other here,"
Christ said to us, "You do it too to Me."
So what we do to anyone, it's clear,
we do to Christ, garbed in His mystery.

Because we're temples of the Holy Spirit,
I best should treat your body here with care,
I truly must respect it and revere it,
because God's Spirit's always living there.

O God, when we look in each other's eyes,
help us to clearly see You in disguise.

                       -- by Pete Voelz        7/09

Soul Know

What do we know of why the soul begins
or when it starts or how it came to be?
I don't much know this vessel of my sins,
my spiritual epistemology.

O God, what does my soul look like to You?
I fear it doesn't look so good to me.
What makes its goodness and its beauty true,
my spiritual iconography?

God holds me in His hand, I hold my soul,
no one will ever steal this soul from me;
but worldly complications take their toll,
my dreaded spiritual hypocrisy.

God's image gives my soul its dignity,
then, faithfully kept, its blessed destiny.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       12/05

Home Heaven

When I see heaven, I will see my home,
I'll recognize the place where I am from;
at last to heaven never more to roam
so comforting to know I've finally come.

My ancestors all waiting in a row,
somehow remembered almost without end;
I'll meet again the relatives I know,
the happy faces of each earthly friend.

My house has many mansions, Jesus said,
and heaven has a home for everyone.
He will prepare a place for me ahead,
and He’ll give me the crown that I have won.

And God my Father under heaven's dome,
will welcome me His child coming home.

                       -- by Pete Voelz         9/05

Don't Dare 3/8/15

How do I dare deny the deeds of God?
There’s nothing that’s so real as His Creation,
the life and death of Christ was no facade,
the Spirit’s clear in all His inspiration.

How do I dare dismisss the words of God--
The Scriptural words of God’s Self-Revelation,
the Gospel words of Christ with nothing odd,
the Word Who came to us as Incarnation?

How do I dare disdain God’s gifts of grace--
my self, my family, friends, our Church and nation,
my talents, freedom, health, and smiling face,
my soul that loves and shows appreciation?

Your deeds and words and gifts--and even pain,
how dare I, Lord, deny, dismiss, distain?

                         by Pete Voelz       3/8/15

The In God

There is no God out there, only in me,
He runs the universe from me inside,
He poured His image, His divinity,
into my soul His Spirit would abide.

No star can claim to be, like me, His child,
since all will pass but me, I am His heir,
on all His children, God has truly smiled,
His Spirit’s temple’s in here, not out there.

Christ came to save me, not some galaxy,
He shed His blood for me, not for the earth,
His Eucharist’s for humans just like me,
We need to know for real how much we’re worth.

His best to our dear human race He gives,
so centered in my humble soul He lives.

              by Pete Voelz       3/7/15

Loving Luck

My best success in life, O God, is You,
Your best success in my life, Lord, is me,
I’ve done best when I’ve faithful been, and true,
You best when sending me a GMC.*

Your loving luck gave me a pious Mother,
by Your coincidence, a faithful wife,
sometimes You brought me to a new another
true friend by luck You let into my life.

My least success was when I went in search
of other answers in some other place,
instead of staying with Your faithful Church,
You led me back to by Your loving grace.

I’m free to choose to trash and lose my soul,
or let Your faithful loving luck control.

* A GMC is a God-Made Coincidence--there is
no coincidence, no luck, no chance, no fate, for
all are God’s Providence, as Pope St. JP2 said.

                          by Pete Voelz       3/6/15

God Competition

Do I compete with God in any way?
For doing so would be extreme conceit;
I'd lose, of course, and there'd by hell to pay,
remember Lucifer tried to compete.

With this, God must ride herd on every man,
to face it, God needs much humility;
I need to steer clear here all that I can,
before God I must very humble be.

I have to set aside my alpha male,
I must confess I know I'm not in charge;
though if I were a little more upscale,
I'd probably see my vanity enlarge.

With God's own infinite love I can't compete,
yet humbly I can make my love complete.

-- by Pete Voelz          11/05

Why Me?

Why am I me? Because You made me so.
Where would I be if You had not made me?
I never gave You any yes or no,
I had no choice to be or not to be.

Where would I be if You'd not put me here,
why did You put me here instead of there?
You put me with the people I am near,
to find the answers I need only dare.

Give me the courage, Lord, Your faith to take,
to place these mysteries in trust to You,
to understand Your plan is for my sake,
to grasp Your path for me and follow through.

Lord, give me peace and help me realize
You are the answer to my many whys.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       11/08

Soul Scan

Can You, Lord, do a CAT-Scan of my soul,
and save me from the cancer of my sin,
the deadly spiritual sicknesses that stole
the innocence and beauty found therein?

I need the radioactivity of Your grace,
the chemotherapy of Your mercy too,
that wipes out every tumor, every trace
temptation brings with sin’s malignant brew.

God, with Your great oncologist expertise,
Your spiritual radiology degree,
rain down Your nuclear graceful energy please,
and radiate my sin-sick soul for me.

I’ll pay the price of pain with my contrition,
if You, Lord, send my sins into remission.

                         by Pete Voelz       3/3/15

Harbor Hope

When I feel powerless without much hope,
so helpless somehow I can't face the test,
not to hang by a thread, but for a rope
I reach in storms, and harbor hope for rest.

Welcomed by all Your might and certainty,
enfolded in Your arms, on Your firm ground,
and for whatever winds may bother me
I call upon Your angels to surround.

For You, Who are my harbor and my rock,
full of attention, nourishment and care,
will pull my wave-tossed craft up to Your dock,
and hook it tightly with my humble prayer.

Filled with Your strength and grace, I sail the race,
no longer hopeless, Lord, I rest my case.

                  by Pete Voelz  --

Soul of Love

How can I go except to go with God?
I came with God from somewhere far above,
He made my body from the dust and sod,
my soul from love, from His great Soul of Love.

He made for me the sun and stars above,
this proof His love exists I can’t resist,
can I resist His greatest Soul of Love,
Himself, He gives to me in Eucharist?

To love Him back, God made my loving soul
to love the Father, Son, and Spirit above,
my power to love, God gives me free control
to choose to love or not His Soul of Love.

I pray You, Lord, let me be loving too,
so I take my soul of great love to You.

by Pete Voelz       3/1/15