O Clavis David

O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and in the shadow of death.

In my journaling each morning a familiar specter shows up nearly every day.  Like the terrifying faceless ghost of Christmas Future in the Dicken’s classic story, my Inner Critic makes an appearance.  Before 7 a.m. she is judge, jury and jailer – sometimes of people in my life but most often and most reliably of myself. 

This Antiphon reminds me today that the only way to silence this harsh voice is to place my life in the hands of the One who decides ‘what to open and what to close,’  the hands of my God who is longing to release me from my own prison of darkness by forgiveness and mercy.

Sometimes I beat up myself over a task left undone, a misstep, or an unkind word.  And you? What holds you in darkness waiting to be released?  What sits in your shadows hoping to be expunged by the Light?  Less we forget: the Key is mercy.

It Pope Francis who reminds us, “The Lord never gets tired of forgiving us, it is we who get tired of asking for forgiveness.” Or perhaps more simply in the words of Tiny Tim, “God Bless us everyone” And that includes you and me.

  

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heavenly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.

Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.