More Trust

O God, why can’t I put more trust in You?
I kinda sorta trust You off and on,
I do believe that all You say is true,
yet when I must, the trust is often gone.

You said, Lord, “Ask the Father in My name
and He will do it,” answering our prayer,
I find it hard to trust in all You claim,
and yet I do believe You really care.

I should put trust in One Who walks on water,
St. Peter did and found that he could stand
on water ‘til his trust began to totter,
yet he was saved when he reached for Your hand.

You trusted me, Lord, when You made me free,
let me trust You Who put Your trust in me.

                     -- by Pete Voelz       12/14/12

The God Chase

I play “Chase God” instead of “God Chase Me.”
I’m tired of--when He calls--I run for cover,
I think it’s more fun plumbing mystery,
to try to capture “This Tremendous Lover.”*

Brave David wrote his psalms and guarded sheep,
God said he was a man after His heart,
it’s boring playing God games on the cheap,
St. Trez vowed she’d not be a saint in part.**

In chasing God, I let Him take the lead,
with Him I will more likely reach our goal,
the challenge is to keep me up to speed,
to hang tough on the fast track of the soul.

Then, Lord, when I’m about to cede the chase,
You turn around and catch me with Your grace.

* Title of a book about God’s love 
  by Ven. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen

** “I do not want to be a saint by halves.”--
St. Theresa (Trez in French) of Lisieux

               -- by Pete Voelz       12/8/12

Do I Know Christ?

How do I know that I know Jesus Christ?
'Tis no small matter for it's heaven's gate.
Do I believe in all He sacrificed,
that He left heaven to free my heavenly fate?

Do I know Christ if I do not know love?
Not for my friends, the pagans all do that,
but unknown ones I should be caring of,
my foes and all who share my habitat?

Do I know Christ if it's to Him I pray?
If I receive Him in His Eucharist,
if I attend His altar every day,
and it's His blood and body most I've kissed?

O Christ, I've not loosed sandals on Your feet,
but I still hope to know You when we meet.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       12/07

Our Solitude

Each day I crave some solitude with You,
a quiet time far from the world and noise,
we need to talk, I need to listen too,
and hear You out on all my woes and joys.

My conscience, God, gives us our solitude,
the place we hash it out--what’s right and wrong,
where nary friend nor enemy may intrude,
when You and I can learn to get along.

We wish to be up close and personal,
with You I feel I have to, Lord, keep pace,
so You can work in me Your miracle,
to make ours a relationship of grace.

Alone I hear what puts me, Lord, at ease,
Your quiet voice--a little whispering breeze.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       12/11/12

God's Not a Game

God’s not a toy, and faith is not a game,
the Church Christ founded’s not some ball or frisbee,
we treat God like His Holy Day and Name,
with humble due respect before His mystery.

We don’t judge God by standards we invent,
we don’t make Him jump through the hoops we make,
we don’t just heed the laws we don’t resent,
He sees right through a faith we try to fake.

I’m not some actor and life’s not a play,
faith’s a commitment, honest and sincere,
it takes God’s power to keep the enemy at bay,
I need to tell Him “Yes!”--right now, right here.

Let me react, not just with how I feel,
but to You, Lord, so loving, true and real.

-- by Pete Voelz       12/9/12

The Face of Love

If God is love, we have no face to love,
and God forbids an image of His face;
the Holy Spirit's pictured as a dove,
but for His face, the dove is out of place.

We need a face to light the love in us,
Christ came to us to show the face of God;
He came to earth to bring us happiness,
He is God's face, He shows us no facade.

"If you see me, the Father's face you see,"
He said to us, "for I and He are one;"
it matters not so much is mystery,
faith and His grace suffice when all is done.

O Christ, Your face of love's enough for me,
blest to believe though not much can I see.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       9/07

Dying to Live

Drawing his blood, they prep his gifts of hope,*
cutting the organs out before he dies,
soothing the grief of those who barely cope,
they keep the heart alive midst tears and cries.

Bringing the sacraments of sick and dying,
physical host of the Incarnate Christ,
the spiritual priest and nun bless the good-bying
before the organ gifts are sacrificed.

So long before, the donor sought to give
his body parts up to his final breath,
same as the priest’s gifts so the soul can live,
incarnate in him two ways conquering death.

That others live, the organs quick they sever,
the Last Rites seal the soul will live forever.

* Gift of Hope is the organization that facilitates
the donating of body organs to people needing
them, as I witnessed for a friend this week.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       12/6/12