I Welcome God

I welcome God each day to show I'm His,
His protege, His vassal and His child,
for He's my Lord, the God of all there is,
I want us to be always reconciled.

God comes to me in human form as Christ,
I aim to treat Him as my favorite guest,
His heaven, His life for me He sacrificed,
we meet best in His gift of Eucharist.

This gift He wishes me to give to others,
to see His countenance in every face,
for both of us are joined to all as brothers,
and He begs me to help to spread His grace.

O God, You’re here to welcome me each day,
may I be there to welcome You, I pray.

                     -- by Pete Voelz           1/07

Love Knows

No thing is known without some sympathy,
so, God, I can't know You from just outside,
just as You know me, Lord, from inside me,
so to know You, I go where You abide.

O Son of God, did You become a man
that You could understand us as we are,
so now as human God You really can
know us up close instead of from afar?

O Christ, not being God, how can I know
the point of view of You so far above?
And yet I think I know: You made me so
I too can share in loving as You love.

O God, if I but love the way You do,
as You know me, I'll partly know You too.

                       -- by Pete Voelz       2/08

Transparent God

O God, Your heart is so transparent to us,
Your love so clearly shown so many ways,
Your generous gifts so much more than what's due us,
I am not able to keep still my praise.

Who can look at and doubt that Your Creation
brings us far comforts more than all we boast,
and if not every gift can bring elation,
through suffering is how we learn the most.

Though we can't fathom all your mysteries,
it's clear how much You do forgive our sinning,
we're grateful too that You, because You please,
help us so much Your heaven we are winning.

Your gifts of faith and love are so great too,
why not transparently give all to You?

                            -- by Pete Voelz       1/06

Accepting Faith

God gives the gift of faith and I accept,
I choose to take the gift and it to keep;
a leap of faith I do not feel I've lept,
I'm glad for faith the miles before I sleep.

I just thank God His gentle chance to choose,
I thank God made me free to make this choice;
each day I choose my faith to keep or lose,
faith sets me free to listen to His voice.

Before all that, God breathed His life in me,
before I was, God gave me all His love,
after this life, He gives eternity,
we'll go there--just as all comes from above.

All these Your gifts show how You love me so,
I must say yes, God, how could I say no?

                       -- by Pete Voelz         2/08

The Lazy Atheist

What’s wrong, I wonder, with the atheist?
Too busy with a thousand things, he’ll say,
yet I’d conclude he is the laziest--
he will not study Scripture, read or pray.

Take soldier Ignatius or playboy Francis,
their books and prayers saw time with God increase,
and busy with new spiritual circumstances,
they changed from men of war to men of peace.

We study Scripture and God does His part,
who can read history and yet not believe?*
An honest prayer brings God into your heart,
we find a church our soul won’t want to leave.

So look and listen, see that God is near,
the biggest foes--just laziness and fear.

* Convert Bl. John Henry Cardinal Newman said
that to be deep in history is to become Catholic.

                              by Pete Voelz     4/1/14

Spirit Wings

Between You, God, and me, what's in the way?
I deeply feel I have a spiritual side,
but there's all the distractions of the day,
and I'd like You to be more cut and dried.

It seems we're not on the same playing field,
still You made me so we could come to terms,
I'm quite sure You want me with faith to yield,
and trust all that Your universe confirms.

The biggest thing between us, Lord, is me,
my wants, my sins, my pride, the list is clear,
from things that blind, I must set myself free,
with all that sent away, I'll find You near.

O God, help me my spirit wings unwrap,
so I can fly to You across the gap.

                   -- by Pete Voelz       8/08

Gathering Grace

God gives me grace to compensate my flaws,
this fallen world I fall in as He knows,
I, broken, break His natural moral laws,
I need the grace He gathered as He rose.

My darkened mind, my weakened will I feel,
though sin seems good, to fall is still my fault,
and yet He sets His sacramental seal
upon my soul, commanding I be salt.

I did not plan my parents or my place,
my country or my century of woe,
all helpless, I, though guided by His grace,
am still responsible for where I go.

God, help me in fulfilling all Your plan,
as I am gathering all the grace I can.

                               by Pete Voelz