THE OLD CATHOLIC MISSION IN SUSSEX

O Key of David and Scepter of the House ofIsrael; you open and no man closes; you close and no man opens.  Come,and deliver from the chains of prison those who sit in darkness and inthe shadow of death.

Isaiah 22:22: "I will place the key of the Houseof David on his shoulder. When he opens, no one shall shut; when he shuts,no one shall open.

Revelation 3:7: "To the presiding spirit of thechurch in Philadelphia write this: 'The holy One, the true, who wieldsDavid's key, who opens and no one can close, who closes and  no onecan open'".

Isaiah 42:6-7: "I formed you, and set you as acovenant of the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes of theblind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon thosewho live in darkness".

The key and scepter are traditional symbols ofkingly power and authority. Christ, the anointed one, is the heir of Davidand possessor of the kingdom. Jesus himself also made use of this symbol,showing the propheticrelationship of the earthly kingdom of David to thekingdom of God.  All power and authority was given to him after theresurrection, and he entrusted this power to "bind and to loose" to Peterand the ministers of his church.

In the closing petition we look to Jesus to unlockthe fetters of sin that  keepus s tightly chained.  It is hewho frees us from our captivity.  We recall the deliverance proclaimedby the psalmist of old: "they dwelt in darkness and gloom, bondsmen inwant and in chains,...and he led them forth fromdarkness and gloom andbroke their bonds asunder" (Psalm 107: 10, 14).