Unique Me

Who else looks out at all the world as I,
who else besides but me abides in me,
who else hears from within me when I cry,
who else feels what I feel, sees what I see?

Who knows my parents, family, friends as I?
God made me here and now uniquely me,
I own the truth I tell, I own my lie,
my own experience, my history.

Who owns this body mine? No one but I.
Who thinks my thoughts, says my words? Only me.
Who charts my will, my deeds until I die?
Who holds my soul, directs my destiny?

Your Providence does most of this, it’s true,
but I uniquely work it, Lord, with You.

by Pete Voelz     12/28/14

God's Holy Family

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

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

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

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

by Pete Voelz    12/28/14
the Feast of the Holy Family

Wherefrom Is Grace

Wherefrom is grace--God’s strength, His power, His favor?
The Church says grace comes most with Sacraments,
grace lets us question faith, but never waver,
does grace, like faith, come from God’s Providence?

Grace grows by our good actions and by prayer,
it leaps when tests are fought, it’s not benign,
God’s ammunition is sufficient there,
yet since we’re free, His grace we can decline.

Grace is a gift that flows and never ceases,
it can shoot high, though sin can make it plummet,
by exercise at church our grace increases,
in Eucharist we find its source and summit.

Give me the cross of grace, I pray, O Lord,
to slay my selfish sins just like a sword.

                        by Pete Voelz     12/15/14

The Superior Spirit

Why is the spirit world superior?
Because it lasts for an eternity?
Our short-lived bodies, far inferior,
run down, wear out and die of entropy.

Our minds can faster fly than light-year speeds,
our spirits live on for they’re not made of parts,
imagination fills our human needs,
the heart will stop, but not our loving hearts.

With God we stand unbound by time and space,
He gives us love and all we do is share it,
we live a higher life, the life of grace,
beyond my sin, my soul will grin and bear it.

Like You, O Lord, my faith is infinite,
and on my living soul I place my bet.

                    by Pete Voelz     12/23/14

The Christmas Rage 2

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

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

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

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

                           by Pete Voelz    

Christmas Soul 2

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

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

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

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

                           by Pete Voelz    

Eve to Dawn 2

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

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

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

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

                   by Pete Voelz