O Clavis David - The One who holds the keys

The 'O Antiphons' are sung according to tradition, during the evening liturgy on the last days of Advent. Each one is a named attribute of The Christ, to whose coming the church looks forward with eager and in these latter days, heightened expectation






O Clavis David
Sung by the Dominican student brothers of Blackfriars, Oxford

His kingdom cannot fail;
he rules o'er earth and heaven;
the keys of death and hell
are to our Jesus given.

Lift up your heart!
lift up your voice!
Rejoice! again I say, rejoice!




I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Matthew Chapter 16 verse 19

Perhaps the gravest verse in Scripture
Do we know who we are?
Do we realise what we have been given?

O Key of David and Sceptre of the House of Israel;

you open and no one can shut;

you shut and no one can open:

Come and lead the prisoners from the prison house,

those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Come, O Come Emmanuel!