O Clavis - December 20

O Key of David, and sceptre of the house of Israel, who open and no one shuts, who shut and no one opens: come and bring out the captive from the prison-house, him who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

The O Antiphon for December 20th is O Clavis. This jewel of our liturgy dates back to the fourth century,

one for each day until Christmas Eve.


These antiphons address Christ with seven magnificent Messianic titles, based on the Old Testament prophecies and types of Christ.

The Church recalls the variety of the ills of man before the coming of the Redeemer.


Before the coming of God in the flesh, we were ignorant, subject to eternal punishment, slaves of the Devil, shackled with our sinful habits, lost in darkness, exiled from our true country. Hence the ancient antiphons announce Jesus in turn as our Teacher, our Redeemer, our Liberator, our Guide, our Enlightener and our Saviour.

The antiphons beg God with mounting impatience to come and save His people. The order of the antiphons climb climatically through our history of Redemption.