December 20th
Liturgy of the Word
Isaiah 7:10-14
Luke 1:26-38
O Key of David
O royal power of Israel
controlling at your will
the gate of Heaven:
Come, break down the prison walls
of death for those who dwell in darkness
and lead your captive people into freedom.
O Clavis David
Even in the darkness where I sit
And huddle in the midst of misery
I can remember freedom, but forget
That every lock must answer to a key,
That each dark clasp, sharp and intricate,
Must find a counter-clasp to meet its guard,
Particular, exact and intimate,
The clutch and catch that meshes with its ward.
I cry out for the key I threw away
That turned and over turned with certain touch
And with the lovely lifting of a latch
Opened my darkness to the light of day.
O come again, come quickly, set me free
Cut to the quick to fit, the master key.
Malcolm Guite
Listen to Malcolm Guite read his sonnet: