Feast of the Ascension

After the Lord's prayer, during Mass, the priest continues: "Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil, graciously grant peace in our days, that, by the help of your mercy, we may be always free from sin and safe from all distress, as we await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ." (Roman Missal) Is this an Advent prayer or an Ascension prayer? In both cases we: "...await the blessed hope and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ." The Jewish people, throughout the Old Testament, anticipated the coming of the Messiah. Their prayers were answered in Jesus of Nazareth. At the start of Advent, we anticipate the eschaton, the last days, when the Lord will come again in glory. We believe that our prayers, too, will be answered in God's time. Likewise, when we think of the Ascension we await the return of our Lord Jesus, whom the Apostles witnessed as passing from their sight to the heavenly realities, leaving them to the continue the mission he had given them. Either way we are not left alone to continue this mission. The prayer after the doxology: "For the kingdom, the power, etc.", is addressed to the risen Lord, present in sacrament on the altar: "Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles: Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church, and graciously grant her peace and unity in accordance with your will. Who live and reign for ever and ever." Ascended in glory, present in sacrament, powerful in majesty, it is Christ the King who unites the spiritual and temporal orders and brings us together as one while bestowing diversity of charisms and ministries: "There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in all. But each of us was given grace according to the measure of Christ's gift." (Eph 4: 4-7)