Like to Love

There are ideas of God I kind of like,
like He dares me and then accepts my dare,
like swift as lightning He can gently strike,
He listens to and answers me my prayer.

I like how God assists, dunks, and rebounds,
He builds a team that fights and scores and wins,
how well He texts His cell and Skypes and sounds,
I like the way He wipes away my sins.

God nets a million likes, but spams for love,
we’re free to follow His commands and law,
He shepherds us and brings His lambs above,
where we, though unafraid, will stand in awe.

O God, You do the best of all we do,
and liking it, I grow in loving You.

         by Pete Voelz      1/2/14

The Poorest

Blest Theresa won the Nobel Prize for Peace
because she helped “the poorest of the poor,”
then from her soapbox she said war would cease
if we brought peace to the abortion war.

This thought most leaders did not want to hear,
they saw her save the poor before their eyes,
if she’d just saved kids’ unborn lives, it’s clear
she never would have won the Nobel Prize.

Without faith to see Christ in Eucharist,
the unseen unborn child we can ignore,
but Mother, with her faith, could not resist
the smallest of the poorest of the poor.

Like unseen love and God, she spoke out for
the poorest of the poorest of the poor.

                     by Pete Voelz      1/6/14

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     1/5/14
Sunday Feast of the Epiphany

New Pope, New Church?

Again we see a struggle for her soul,
the Spirit stirs it up and damps it down,
our job’s to keep the struggle in control,
for semper reformanda’s back in town.

“In medio stat virtus,” wrote the Roman.
“All things in moderation,” said the Greek.
“My side is wholly righteous,” shouts the showman.
“Our side is solely holy,” squeaks the chic.

The Spirit sometimes speaks with storm and thunder,
yet God’s voice mainly stays a whispering breeze,
Christ promised His Church wouldn’t fall asunder,
rose garden no, but some kick-boxing please.

We’ll stay together--that’s the way we pray
to You, O Lord, Who stands above the fray.

                 by Pete Voelz      1/3/14

Love and Free

I’m free to choose the good but not the bad,
yet without bad to choose, there is no choice,
that sometimes I choose bad just makes me sad,
to turn from God and hear the other voice.

When I heed God, it is His love I choose,
bad consequences come when I love not,
since God is love, it’s love that I refuse,
with worldly love alone I don’t have squat.

Centered on me, my freedom is not free,
when selfish, I forget I am at war--
to be for God or for the god of me,
love’s seeing God in others, like the poor.

To worship me, what trouble I am in,
God, help me love You first, and not to sin.

                       by Pete Voelz     1/3/14

If God Is Love

If God is love, then what is love, I wonder,
it must mean to create one who is new,
then save the one You love from going under,
if he in being free puts faith in You.

God's loving means creating us as living,
and knowing that we're conscious that we know;
His loving means He'll never stop His giving,
so long as we don't choose to be His foe.

God loves and wants His love to last forever,
desiring that His love we will not spurn;
our love affair He leaves us free to sever,
as we are free to love Him in return.

O Lord, Whose love is full of mystery,
I do love You a lot for loving me.

                           -- by Pete Voelz      11/07

At Mary's Knee

I met my mother on my mother’s knee,
there’s where I learned of love and how to pray,
she taught me what a mother’s supposed to be,
and all she gave sustains me to this day.

My mother took me from her knee to kneel,
before the cross she taught me of another,
whose Son gave her to love us just as real,
who, like our loving Father, is our Mother.

As He made her our Mother from the cross,
He asks us all His Mother to revere,
so not to honor her would be our loss,
He often sends her to us to appear.

O Mary, at your knee, my Mother true,
may I, your child, be faithful loving you.

by Pete Voelz      1/1/14
Feast of the Solemnity of Mary
     Mother of God