Like Christ

Each Eucharist helps make my body Christ,
my blood made His by every drop I've kissed,
but that's not why so often we're enticed
to eat and drink Him in His Eucharist.
We want to take on His own heart and mind,
to have in part His personality,
to be like Him, more loving, caring, kind,
and share in His share of the Trinity,
to sip His soul and spirit most of all,
to fill up with His will and want it too,
to follow where He goes and not to fall,
and do what He would do and follow through.
O Christ, help me become You to the core,
so we can join together evermore.

                     -- by Pete Voelz          12/07

The Prayer Behind

St. Theresa was named patroness of the missions,
though she herself had never crossed the seas,
her being named had broken all traditions,
she only stayed behind and made her pleas.

St. Theresa never was a missionary,
with totally no experience in the field,
she proved it is not totally necessary,
to go there to win souls the missions yield.

She prayed for missionaries and wrote them letters,
instead of going there, she stayed at home,
she showed we needn’t be like the pace-setters,
for some to pray is better than to roam.

Though missions need all the help that they can get,
for us behind, our prayer’s more powerful yet.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       6/28/12

Love Thing

I don’t think “thing” can take in love at all,
“Love Is a Many Splendored Thing,” they said,
but words like “thing” can’t stand outside and call
dear love some “thing” when love is all instead.

For God is love, and God is not a thing,
and God is more than everything combined,
love sings in almost every song we sing,
as St. Paul says, love’s patient, faithful, kind.

Love makes the world go ‘round, the saying goes,
“Love is eternal,” Mary wrote to Abe,
love conquers all--hate, sin--everyone knows,
who can refuse love to a newborn babe?

Like God is, so love too is everywhere,
next to them, things don’t even have a prayer.

                          -- by Pete Voelz        6/17/12

Our Only Love

O God, You are the only Love for me,
in Your umbrella Love, we love our wives,
without Your Love, no love is meant to be,
for You are Love, the sole Love of our lives.

“If anyone should love their loved one more
than Me, they’re not worthy of Me," You said.
“If brother, spouse or friend should come before
their love for Me,” they make them God instead.

Your Great Commandment says to love You best,
with all our mind and strength, our soul and heart,
then love ourselves, our neighbors, all the rest
within Your Love, where our love’s just a part.

In You, O Father, Holy Spirit, and Son,
all our loves fit, Yours is the only one.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       6/27/12

God More in Me

God fills the universe, He's strong out there,
and yet I know He's stronger here in me;
He did not make me for the everywhere,
for me He made the everywhere to be.
He did that not because I am so great,
rather because for me His love's so vast;
a love that's infinite will resonate
beyond a universe that will not last.
To such a love then how should I respond?
Should I give just part of me or the whole?
God I must love for real, not just be fond,
an infinite love deserves my heart and soul.
Since You are love, O Lord, more near than far,
Let me give back in full just what You are.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       4/10

Coach God

God is the coach of this mysterious team,
recruiting players who, free agents all,
find difficulty in pursuing His dream,
and, playing His game, often trip and fall.

Reluctantly recruited one by one,
they’re captivated by some other sports,
less into discipline, more into fun,
they have to be weaned from more popular courts.

Some doubting His invisible victory,
attached to this world, more material,
they must absorb His spirituality,
and He resort to many a miracle.

Divine Coach, let me choose Your sport, I pray,
so on Your team I’ll ever after play.

                                -- by Pete Voelz       6/25/12

Prayer Texts

My prayer is like a text I post to God,
first I compose and write and then I send,
I don't know if He's got it so I prod
until I get an answer from my Friend.
To catch His beep I need a quiet ear,
I look with eyes of faith for His reply,
sometimes it is direct and quick and clear,
or puzzling or surprising bye and bye.
I need not print or save or store the text,
or memorize what He will not forget,
it matters not when I implore the next,
in Paradise they're on my sobriquet.
To my prayer-text God's certain to respond,
no mind that He's beyond the great beyond.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       3/10

Kiss Gifts

O God, if I had more free time than this,
I’d write a thousand poems that You’d inspire,
and give each to Your Trinity as a kiss,
to stoke this heart of mine with loving fire.
O Holy Spirit, usually given short shrift,
You’ve worked so hard these past two thousand years,
since Christ left us God’s Spirit as a gift
to guard and guide His Church through joys and tears,
let me give You equal attention too,
with Jesus Christ, Who I’ve so often kissed
in His great gift we so believe is true,
Incarnate God and man in Eucharist.
O Father of One God of love in Three,
pour down Your inspirational grace on me.

                         -- by Pete Voelz     6/23/12
                               
                                     (All 380+ the past year are at
                                     pmvoelz.blogspot.com)

Fallen Fun

My soul will not go down without a fight,
our fallen world attracts me, You do too,
I’m pulled to fallen fun, then to Your light,
my conscience says, no better one than You.

Knowing what’s right’s not always what I feel,
sometimes the fallen world just feels more fun,
my reason speaks up, “Yeah, but what’s more real?”
My faithfulness tells me that You’re the One.

If I fight for my soul, why not for theirs?
It’s in the fight I win, not in the score,
the phony way the world scores, so who cares?
It’s where I want to live forevermore.

It takes great faith to see eternity,
forgoing the fallen fun’s a fight for me.

                      -- by Pete Voelz       6/21/12

Love and Loyalty

I’m loyal to myself and loyal to You,
the power of love creates my loyalty,
I love myself and I love You, Lord, too,
I love the most who cares the most for me.

Does anyone care for me as much as I?
I feed and clothe myself, I rest my head,
I’ll work for me until the day I die,
the sweat a’ my brow earns me my daily bread.

And You, Lord, gave me life and give me love,
You give me family, friends, the universe there,
You send down grace and strength from heaven above,
You grant me bread, not stones, with every prayer.

If loyalty springs from love, and love from caring,
should I not love You most, Your endless sharing?

                                 -- by Pete Voelz       6/21/12

Our Miracles

Our greatest power is our great power to pray,
That, joined with God’s almighty power to win,
can turn us into healers every day,
to heal hurt souls their worst sickness of sin.

How hard we pray for our sick friends to heal,
we’re always looking for some miracle,
or when we’re sick, we ask God for a deal,
ignoring greater healings spiritual.

We may not cure someone of physical pains,
but we can soothe the suffering of their soul,
our words and care can break sin’s awful chains,
our smile and love can make them spiritually whole.

God’s power is grace, we’re given grace to spare--
the healing miracles of love and care.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       6/20/12

Mystery Love

Love can't be captured in a single poem,
one poem can only taste a little bit,
like too much honey in a honeycomb,
a poem's too small for much sweet love to fit.

Love has to be experienced by the poet
in various ways before the heart can write it,
one has to fall and fathom deep to know it,
and sometimes struggle hard and even fight it.

Love's fire can be savored in a sonnet,
though love has only favored few to do it,
for rare's the poet can get a handle on it,
and rare's the poem can hold a candle to it.

O Lord of love, who longs for even me,
let my poems publish Your love's mystery.

                              -- by Pete Voelz       4/10

Busy God

A busy God Who sits upon my bed,
You take some time from countless stars I see
to count each little hair upon my head,
O timeless God, You make some time for me.

Transcendent God, You’re not at all remote,
always You stay up close and personal,
You tend to me, no, more than that, You dote,
You break laws to make me a miracle.

Our Father God, Your Son You sacrificed,
He came, You had His presence here persist,
Incarnate Son of God, Messiah Christ,
God’s love personified in Eucharist.

Your Spirit too is busy with Your grace
to bring us loved ones to Your heavenly place.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       6/18/12

Quiet Spirit

The solitude and silence are my friends,
without them I can’t hear the Spirit speak,
with noise and crowds, the Spirit’s prompting ends,
distracted, I don’t catch His message weak.

The prompts are soft, I barely hear them come,
a mere whispered suggestion in my soul,
just then, I can’t tell what direction from,
no sound, no horn to blare, no drum to roll.

The message, clear and simple, something good,
but with demands, some suffering and cost,
I may not want to, but I know I should,
I have to write it down before it’s lost.

O Spirit touch, soft, sweet and never rude,
like a dove’s wing, my silent solitude.

                 -- by Pete Voelz      6/17/12

Quick Awe-full Choice

So all night long, the universe expands,
close to light speed, for fourteen billion years,
across this space, He stretches out His hands,
a personal God, Who wipes away my tears.

St. Trez* said, in perspective, life is short,
“a moment between two eternities,”
I pick an awe-full sentence, like in court,
I quick must choose ‘twixt two long destinies.

I know one’s very good, one’s very bad,
more than this life is my true destiny,
one’s hard, one’s fun--the choosing makes me sad,
can’t I avoid, deny eternity?

What luck! My loving God, Who dries my tear,
to help me make my choice right now, is here.

*St. Theresa, the Little Flower, was French,
so her name was pronounced Trez.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       6/16/12

No Response

Sometimes I have to pray to God when I’m
not ready to converse with Him, my Lord,
when I cannot just stop now on a dime,
nor get so interested because I’m bored.

I think I must await God’s invitation,
like He may just not want me right away,
I probe a bit but feel no inspiration,
and so I put my prayer on pause today.

It’s like I see a bell that does not ring,
or when it does it gives a solemn toll,
my heart is frozen when I want to sing,
I sense a shadow “dark night” in my soul.*

I wonder what my waiting wise God wants,
when He leaves me at sea with no response.

*”The dark night of the soul” was described by St.
John of the Cross, as when we feel deserted by God.

                           --- by Pete Voelz       6/15/12

Hail David

King David was the greatest king of old,
and yet he served the Lord God as his Lord,
in war he prayed the Good Lord make him bold,
then slew Goliath for his faith’s reward.

He set us the ideal of servant king,
while pagan kings took all wealth as their own,
King David gave his people everything,
now public servants serve the folks alone.

Young David praised his Lord with harp and psalms,
and calmed King Saul’s depression with his art;
though sinful, he repented and gave alms,
he was, God said, a man for His own heart.

Hail to Saint David, who served God the best,
and showed great leadership to all the rest.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       6/13/12

Love's Duty

The powers of love are not just for our pleasure,
love’s powers impose responsibility,
love’s not just free, it also is a treasure,
love’s guarded by accountability.

Love frees us by releasing us from prison,
the prison of unlove that haunts us all,
love lights our life like colors from a prism,
the light that lets us answer to love’s call.

Love gives us worth, we’re valued by the lover,
a worth that can be measured by the cost,
love’s duties done is how the cost we cover,
how we ensure love’s joys will not be lost.

Lord, let me please achieve love’s self-control,
for greater love, the saving of my soul.

                        -- by Pete Voelz       6/12/12

God's Well

I go to God, Whose well is never dry,
Who gave to me the waters of rebirth,
Whose beautiful creation fills my eye,
Whose majesty and power fills the earth,
Whose awesome answers to our prayers will last,
Who’ll always work for us a miracle,
Whose opportunities to love are vast,
Whose truth’s to us always available,
Whose laws and science are so well designed,
Whose natural knowledge never seems to wane,
Whose Scriptural Revelation blows our mind,
and Whose theology we can’t explain.
Let me, Lord, give You my fidelity,
as You are inexhaustible to me.

-- by Pete Voelz       9/21/11

Marking Time

Sometimes it seems that I'm just marking time,
what my direction is I’m not so sure,
as if I'm stuck, I can't get off the dime,
where I am headed, no more than a blur.
We either forward go or fall behind,
I'm undecided on which way to move,
to be or not to be is on my mind,
but to be who, what do I have to prove?
Time passes by, I'm losing strength to go,
without a reason and without a goal,
what do I know, what's there I need to know?
Too dark the glass, the ennui in my soul.
Before I fall too far into the night,
I reach in prayer to glimpse the only light.

                     -- by Pete Voelz        2/08

God's World

God's world rolls on despite our trite concerns,
how do we rise to His, embroiled in ours?
I'm close as death to all that my heart yearns,
His only brightens more as this one sours.

How can we close in on what matters most?
Once we find it, we're found, no longer lost.
Steeped in our faith, we can give up the ghost,
for joy eternal, there's no heavy cost.

What keeps me from pursuing more this quest?
Why am I so distracted here below?
It's now I must prepare to be His guest,
and focus more on where I aim to go.

O God, Who calls me there, come show me how
to see Your world in true perspective now.

                            -- by Pete Voelz      8/07

Prayer Knowing

What makes my praying good and strong and true?
Is it my thoughts of God I’m thinking of?
Is it the where or when or how, or who
I’m praying for and how much them I love?

Or why--so my intention is sincere?
Or me--my disposition, state of grace?
My faith--that God my little prayer will hear?
My awe--yet brave enough to face His face?

The words I choose--the simple or sublime?
The risk I dare--to take Him one-on-one?
The time I take to tender God my time?
My openness--to say, “Thy will be done”?

Yes, all these, more or less, to some degree,
but most of all, Lord, my humility.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       6/8/12

Soul Stroll

I take my soul out for its daily stroll,
I fill my lungs and breathe the air of prayer,
it's fun to feel the sun and set our goal
to see the Son of God Who's everywhere.
We do our daily stint in church, our gym,
wherein we exercise the words of Christ;
we're nourished on the food and drink of Him
Whose flesh and blood for us were sacrificed.
It matters not what shape I've made the flesh
with me today, tomorrow in the grave;
my state of grace I most need to refresh,
my body rots, my soul I hope to save.
To make my resurrected body whole,
I need to spiritually exercise my soul.

                         -- by Pete Voelz       9/07

God Lite

I take God lightly, not at all, or worse,
I sin against Him since He's barely there,
He's only Master of the Universe,
I treat Him cavalierly as I dare.
When I need God, He's suddenly more real,
my hope leaps up, my faith begins to rise,
in heavy times, God lite's a bigger deal,
from Whom no more my eye so blithely shies.
I know that Christ was good, Him I admire,
His words so nice impress me constantly,
but I must say His miracles inspire,
I wish He'd do a miracle for me.
O God so great, up close and personal,
lay not so lite on me Your miracle.

                              -- by Pete Voelz     5/09

Good from God

God's reaching in brings out the good in me,
appealing to my gentle, loving side,
He put His good in me for all to see,
He touches it and it is magnified.
God always asks of me to give my best,
He warns me not to give my fallenness,
though when I do, I turn and too am blest,
feels good to beat the bad when I confess.
When I give good, God only gives me more,
the more I give, the more He does inspire,
my higher score makes my desire soar,
to do some more burns in me like a fire.
O God, let it be clearly understood,
the good I do is due to You, the Good.

                      -- by Pete Voelz            4/09

God Sense

I don’t see God, and yet I know He’s there,
for with my eyes of faith I see Him clear,
I don’t hear God, yet know He hears my prayer,
and since He does, I know He’s really here.

I don’t touch God, but feel Him touching me,
my heart, my mind, my soul I feel Him shake,
He’s there surrounding me, though I’m still free,
free to withhold the love I feel Him take.

I find I ask myself, Who’s in control?
How can I not sense now this God I know?
Can I ignore Who captivates my soul?
Like Peter, I must ask, Where would I go?

O God, Your might draws me to thoughts above,
can I resist the power of Your love?

                          -- by Pete Voelz       6/5/12

Surprised by Christ

When I’m surprised by new temptation’s guise,
I look around for help from someone known,
there’s no disguise when Christ comes by surprise,
reminding me that I am not alone.

He always brings for me sufficient grace
to strengthen my faint efforts to resist
temptation’s charge against my power base
I’ve garnered from our frequent Eucharist.

Why by surprise find I Christ by my side?
He’s promised to be with me when I falter,
Old Satan’s not too strong so long I bide
my sacraments and prayer life by the altar.

Yet I still sin despite Christ’s watchful eyes,
a sinner seeking mercy--no surprise.

                  -- by Pete Voelz       6/4/12

Strong Will Hunting

My sin’s not in my mind, but in my will,
I know what’s right, but do not want what’s right,
I know what’s wrong, and yet I want it still,
I want to do the sin that I should fight.

The research shows we know what’s right and wrong,
we love the sin and put God on the shelf,
to God, not sin, I know I should belong,
instead I make a god out of myself.

A sinner’s not, said young St. Bernadette,
someone who sins, but one who loves the sin,
I never thought I loved my sin, and yet
I want to do the sin and so give in.

You’ve written right and wrong upon my heart,
Lord, help me keep my heart and sin apart.

-- by Pete Voelz       6/4/12

Humble Power

I lie in bed and talk to God, Who hears,
how He can hear and why are mysteries,
there is no sound except between my ears,
yet in the silent dark He hears and sees.
He is my friend Who made the earth and sky,
and then He made my body and my soul,
He gave me life that I might live and die,
He made me free and left me in control.
He gave me laws and asks me to obey,
He is a person Who rules from above,
He asks that I might talk to Him, to pray,
in thought and word and deed He wants my love.
Mysterious, powerful God, and good friend too,
 Your great humility draws me to You.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       5/10

Holy Coo

The Holy Spirit speaks in quiet ways,
I wish that He would try to prompt me stronger,
I care how long His short slim message stays,
I wish His silent words were louder, longer.

The Spirit sits, then flits down like a dove,
He coos His call, then leaves me thoughts to ponder,
it’s hard to see this God I’m s’posed to love,
unsure His absence makes my heart grow fonder.

And yet the Spirit also is attentive,
He listens and to speak to Him I’m free,
for dialogue, I must be more inventive,
His graceful prompts are also up to me.

O Spirit, help me to respond to You,
and answer You with my own fonder coo.

                           -- by Pete Voelz       3/31/12