Loving More

If I love more, then I can save more souls,
so how can I increase my love, O Lord?
We know in life we try for many goals,
but only one thing counts--our last reward.

In heaven I want to hear but these five words
why I am there: “because you have loved much,”
like God Who loves me more than all the birds,
so He asks me how many souls I touch.

St. Theresa said if we pick up a pin
with great love, then a sinner we can save,
we can reverse the sinful state they're in
and give eternal life beyond the grave.

So let us, Lord, work gently hand in glove
to save these souls, and mine, with greater love.

                                         by Pete Voelz

Dark, Quiet God

God likes me in the quiet dark, alone,
my body still, not going anyplace,
an easy time to make my heart His own,
and drench me with His gentle guiding grace.

God looks for some divinly inspired action,
the dark dispells distractions I could see,
He offers His great spiritual attraction,
He concentrates His love on little me.

God’s infinite, His love and time are too,
He can reduce Himself to me with ease,
His mercy and humility are true,
His almost silent voice a whispering breeze.

You bring, O Lord, Your spiritual waves my way,
in dark and quiet before the dawn of day.

                        by Pete Voelz     1/27/15

Faith Happens

(With thanks to Mother Theresa)

Faith is the will that bridges mind and heart,
I know God's there, but I don't feel His care,
my empty heart makes us seem far apart,
yet I can see His caring everywhere.

Faith is the bridge between His art and me,
how artfully He's worked His world around,
inserting me with love and dignity,
I read His words but His voice makes no sound.

Faith is the light that helps me see Him here,
He sends me friends to aid me on the way,
opening my eyes of faith to know He's near,
His art, His work, His friends, His Church today.

God came Himself in cross and Eucharist,
with grace I will assent and not resist.

                             -- by Pete Voelz       5/07

Strong Again

When I am lost, O Lord, I think of You,
You calm me down, You put things in perspective;
You point the way, You tell me what to do,
calling to mind our mutual objective.

When I'm alone, I feel Your hand in mine,
reminding me I do not have to fear;
when not alone, You offer bread and wine,
my company, mysterious and clear.

Creation proves the Father never tires,
as Christ affirmed, He's here until the end,
the faithful Spirit strengthens and inspires,
I end up with a Trinity for Friend.

Alone, afraid, confused or lost, and then,
mindful of You, O God, I'm strong again.

                         -- by Pete Voelz        8/05

Bridge Maker

Let’s play some bridge, a card game so mundane,
who makes the cards, the game, our fun so small?
Who makes my body, mind, and soul and brain?
God is the greatest bridge player of all.

I stand upon the bridge of my own ship,
I sail life’s seas when calm or in a squall,
I’m captain, but God steers my fateful trip
up on that bridge, the sailor best of all.

I have to walk across the bridge of death,
He’s ready there to catch me should I fall,
from my first cry of life to my last breath,
God is the best bridge maker of them all.

To help me, Lord, to reach my heavenly goal,
You’ve built a bridge of grace before my soul.

                    by Pete Voelz     1/21/15

Brink Maker

Will I be ready when You come for me,
when I have finished, Lord, my lifelong race,
as at the brink I see my destiny,
will I be in, O Lord, Your state of grace?

Will I be ready to meet You, my Maker,
when at the brink, I have no more to give,
will I stand more a giver or a taker,
more for myself or for You did I live?

How shall I answer, Lord, this crucial query:
Will those I fed or clothed be at my side,
flanked by my angel, patron saints, and Mary,
Or will I try my guilty soul to hide?

As I face You, I don’t, Lord, want to blink,
when I meet You, my Maker, at the brink.

by Pete Voelz   1/20/15

Cozy God

(Inspired by my friend, Steve.)

There is this God Who’s smaller than an atom,
there is this God Who’s bigger than the sea,
there is this God--knows everyone from Adam,
then takes the time to cozy up to me.

He made me free, He put me in control,
it’s not enough to say He is my friend,
created me--my body, self, and soul,
there from the start, He’ll be there to the end.

How can, O Lord, I cozy up to You?
When You attend to me, I will be there,
I’ll open up my heart and listen to
Your loving words, then answer You in prayer.

O Lord, You are so personal and real,
I’ll face You true, not just from how I feel.

by Pete Voelz     1/19/15

The God Cloud

We marvel at the Internet, its cloud
of information somewhere in the sky,
before which every human head is bowed,
pictures and print they say will never die.

God has His cloud beyond the universe,
all that we do He keeps a record of,
all human thoughts that no one can disperse,
all of the ways that we reflect His love.

Finally there is the tiny cloud of mine,
all that I think and do, my every word,
my life stored in that memory divine,
can any doubt my little prayer gets heard?

Your cloud, O Lord, remains in spiritual space,
mere tech clouds pass, but not Your cloud of grace.

                             by Pete Voelz     1/18/15

What Does God Do?

What does God do? We wonder what He does.
As Yahweh, He exists, the One Who is,
outside of time, He will be as He was,
Maker of all, He owns us, we are His.

God lives in heaven, He rules us from above,
yet omnipresent, He also rules us here,
since God is love, He’s always doing love,
omnipotent, He lives beyond all fear.

God loves us all, yet each He does attend,
He tells us to attend Him and obey,
He watches, guards and guides us without end,
to freely love Him too, He asks we pray.

O infinite God, You do things infinitely,
in Your eternity, do them with me.

                 by Pete Voelz     1/17/15

Planet of Prayer

God knows this planet’s more than what it seems--
prayers more than dreams, but what is it we dream for?
“More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams,”*
this is the only planet there’s a theme for.

Down here we see, God deals in things unseen,
our mind makes up the things of which we dream,
God’s Spirit world explains what all things mean,
like Plato’s cave, they’re never what they seem.**

God brings His spiritual world to worldly scenes,
with eyes of faith we see things we can’t see,
God brings together, when He intervenes,
His Spirit world and my world just for me.

In prayer, Lord, I will always find some space
to join my planet with Yours full of grace.

* From Tennyson’s “Death of Arthur”
** Plato said we only see shadows on the cave wall,
cast by the fire of the real world outside the cave.

                            by Pete Voelz     1/16/15

Just Juggle Words

For you the clown knelt gladly down, and yet
he had no gift to offer to you now,
so he just juggled there, worked up a sweat,
alive, you used your veil to wipe his brow.*

His motto “Totus Tuus,” St. John Paul
placed his assassin’s bullet in your crown,
“All yours,” he said, for you he gave his all,
your Son made him a saint of great renown.**

What can I give to you for Christ your Son?
I have no juggling gift for you to see,
I’ll share what skill is mine when all is done,
just juggle words and write you poetry.

Perhaps in spiritual ways and by God’s grace,
your statue will bend down to wipe my face.

* St. Barnabas, a humble monk in the Middle Ages.
** “Totus Tuus, Maria” was his motto and he gave the
bullet to Our Lady of Fatima who had appeared in
1917 because, he said, she had saved his life.

                         by Pete Voelz     1/15/15

Great Gifts

What faith it takes to give your life for Christ,
what love it takes for Christ to die for me,
how great our worth for all that's sacrificed,
these feed our hope amidst this mystery.

Love starts with God Who made us good like Him,
faith is a gift that leads to what is true,
beauty arrives like spring for hope so dim,
they numb and dampen pain like morning dew.

We love the good and do it for the Lord,
these beautiful gifts produce our gratitude,
then lovely truth points to our hoped reward,
all grow by grace when we eat God as food.

O Lord, You give these gifts to make me whole,
help me to nourish them within my soul.

                          -- by Pete Voelz         4/08

Mary Mother

Mother of Christ, we Christians have believed,
Who died for all our sins to set us free,
O Mother dear, immaculately conceived,
help this poor sinner try to sinless be.

O Virgin Mother, by all ages blest,
please hear the prayer of your devoted child,
your body lifted up to heaven's rest,
to your Son lift me to be reconciled.

O Mother Mary, Queen of heaven and earth,
who rules with Christ the King our human race,
Mother of God, to Whom you here gave birth,
give us His help through your hands full of grace.

O loving Mary, Mom of the Divine,
strengthen my faith, O faithful Mother mine.

                                     by Pete Voelz

Free Each Day

Each day is like another Rosary bead
I use to pray and choose a way to blab it,
each need I feed, each deed I breed a weed,
unthinking rote, my day I float on habit.

Why don’t I measure each day and prayer a treasure,
and freely choose to offer everything
to God for His own glory, honor, pleasure,
each day, each prayer done as befits a king?

God gives me now this choice, this grace, this power
to exercise my freedom to control
my beads so seeds of contemplation flower,*
my days and deeds with meditative soul.

O God, You set me free to wake and choose
my every day and prayer for love to use.

* Thomas Merton wrote a famous bestseller
in 1949--“Seeds of Contemplation.” He said,
The biggest human temptation is to settle for too little.”

                            by Pete Voelz     1/12/15

God Rocks

What are the rocks that hold me fast, O Lord,
what are the God-rock anchors of my life,
where is my helmet, armor, shield, my sword
for my defense and victory in the strife?

How faithful were my parents in my youth,
how generous were the priests and nuns who taught me,
how solid was the Church, the voice of truth,
the sacraments to fight the ones who fought me.

How steady are my patron saints in prayer,
how loyal is Our Lady, full of grace,
the Father and the Spirit always there,
my knee before Your crucifix and face.

I’m bound, O Lord, when faced by those who hurt me
to You, my loving Rock, Who’ll ne’re desert me.

                                   by Pete Voelz     1/11/15

Why Can't God Help?

Why can't the God Who does all things help me?
The God Who made the universe, Who's there,
is He too big, too buzy now to see
someone so little kneeling here in prayer?

God made me, so He wants to help, I know,
but I've not needed so much help before,
I come to God with nowhere else to go,
how do I know He'll help me anymore?

O God, I know that I must do my part,
along with prayer, I have to try hard too,
yet You know best what I have in my heart,
I desperate turn, my last resort, to You.

God, I in faith, though You're invisible,
will wait for You to do Your miracle.

                                 by Pete Voelz

God, At Base

You are, Lord, my beginning and my end,
You are my base, and court of last resort,
You are my first and best and final friend,
in war, my fort, in stormy seas, my port.

O God, I love You most, You’re my Plan A,
but when my plans break down, You’re Plan B too,
I go to You to make it all OK,
and You forgive me every sin I do.

You’re my foundation, God, my basic ground,
You set me firm, yet let me sail in space,
You fire my mind, but keep my thinking sound,
You fuel me with Your fortitude and grace.

You are my outward face, my inner core,
tell me, O Lord, what could I ask for more?

by Pete Voelz     1/8/15

Doctor God

I go to Doctor God when my soul hurts,
just like I see a doctor when I'm ill,
my soul from spiritual sickness He converts,
if I pray Him to save my soul, He will.

My Doctor God will cure my disbelief,
He gives the gift of faith that I desire,
from doubts and worries He brings me relief,
He strengthens my weak spirit when I tire.

My Doctor God calms down my stormy soul,
He always knows the trouble that I'm in,
I run the race, He brings me to the goal,
His medicine of mercy cures my sin.

Just as I trust my doctor heals somehow,
Lord, You'll not lend my soul less solice now.

                     -- by Pete Voelz         11/08

Four Kings

Three kings they came wise in the ways of stars,
to trek so far they had to be so sure,
their gifts, in caravans of camel jars,
of precious gold and frankincense and myrrh.

They studied all the prophets’ ancient texts
to journey far to greet a baby King,
unknowing their epiphany’s vast effects--
that like the angels we’d still with them sing.

The Word already sent to nations far,
that brought wise kings to this King’s stable then,
commands us now to follow His bright star,
and bring His Good News gifts to good will men.

O Melchior, Balthasar, and Caspar--three
great kings, please bring your greatest King to me.

by Pete Voelz  
Feast of the Epiphany
pmvoelz.blogspot.sg

Three Stars

God sends His star to me, not just the Kings,
He sends His star that represents His Son,
to our Epiphany a light He brings,
the dawn of light that tells the night is done.

Christ comes to earth, to us, including me,
this star of His that also is all mine,
and opens He for me eternity,
to share His star, His light, and His divine.

The only Star from Spirit and Father far,
that lights the earth and universe so bright,
it wipes out all the dark and sins there are,
to make all souls the children of the Light.

Christ makes us stars of light, dear reader, too,
there really are three stars--Christ, me and you.

                by Pete Voelz     1/5/15

Chemo for My Soul

I need a healthy diet for my cancer,
the sickness that already takes a toll,
cut down on sweets and fast foods is an answer,
but what about the cancer of my soul?

A few more years a cure would let me live,
a temporary, transitory goal,
but chemo for a spiritual cure would give
eternal joy in heaven for my soul.

A pill of true repentance I will take,
a prayer with every apple in my bowl,
some healthy Gospel verses for Christ’s sake,
His Eucharist to salve my sorry soul.

With chemo I will take my Rosary
and tend too my forever destiny.

by Pete Voelz     1/3/15

Faith and Proof

Our knowledge about God is proof He's real,
not certain proof, for faith needs room to grow;
with no proof, faith is only what we feel,
and God shows more than only feelings show.

We need some faith or freedom is a farce;
if God would prove Himself with certainty,
our need and use of freedom would be sparse,
and our free choice for God could never be.

God forces us to freely make a choice,
for not to choose would be to not choose God;
God wants to give our brave faith its free voice,
and not make faith and freedom a facade.

O God, I thank You for Your evidence,
and for my faith confirmed by common sense.

                                       by Pete Voelz

Why to Nowhere?

(After viewing the new movie The Theory of
Everything about physicist Stephen Hawking)

The where of there we can’t prove or negate,
we have no words so high or wide to go there,
or even know a universe so great,
or how to get so far to go to nowhere.

Beyond the stars we spread to nothing space,
Somebody must be there for when we get there,
Who’s shown His power and now perhaps His face,
so we can everyone show Who we met there.

We want to know what nothing may be made of,
for God is made of nothing very clear,
yet what is He so many are afraid of,
and why fear One Who lives beyond the fear?

The Who or why of God or what or where,
will matter only if He’s in my prayer.

                      by Pete Voelz     12/27/14

A New and Humbler Year

Our first ancestor Adam’s sin was pride,
the basis of all sins we love so dear,
my melanoma quietly spreads inside,
for me will come a new and humbler year.

Too late to change the future or the past,
it’s useless now to see what brought me here,
except the lesson nothing here will last,
and so for some this new more humble year.

A time of grace God gives me to prepare:
cooperate with dying, do not fear,
offer your humble life in humble prayer,
and don’t be glum this new and humble year.

So work I will on my humility,
share, Lord, Your meek and humble heart with me.*

* Traditional Catholic prayer: “O Jesus, meek and
humble of heart, make our hearts like unto Thine.”

                             by Pete Voelz     12/31/14