O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel; qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit: veni, et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis. "O Key of David, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, who open and no one shuts, who shuts, and no one opens, come and free from prison him who sits in darkness and the shadow of death." The keys of the ancient world were very different from the tiny Yale keys of today. They were often made of wood and large enough to require being hauled about on the shoulders. So, today's antiphon presupposes not only knowledge of our Lord's Davidic ancestry, but also of a wooden key we would identify with the Cross. But there is more than that. In the Roman marriage ritual, the handing over of the household keys to the bride marked a definitive stage in a new relationship. In the Old Testament as in the New, the Covenant relationship between God and ourselves is frequently described in terms of a marriage bond. So, today we are praying that the Lord Jesus will redeem us through his death on the Cross, open to us the kingdom of heaven and unite the Church to himself as the bride is united to the Bridegroom. It is a reminder that our prayer, like our trust, must be LARGE. For monks and nuns this idea is reinforced by the custom known as the Missus Est. Today in every community the superior will give a short address on the Gospel of the Annunciation. Had Mary not consented heart and soul to be the Mother of God, where would we sinners be?