Visitation of Mary
Jacopo da Pontormo, 1529
My dear friends,
The fourth Sunday of Advent celebrates the theme of "Joy," a "fruit of the Spirit" and a hallmark of the coming of Christ. Joy is also one of the Four Immeasurables, also called brahmaviharas or "divine abodes," in Buddhist tradition: empathetic joy (mudita), loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuna), and equanimity (upekkhā). These qualities, cultivated in both Christian and Buddhist traditions, offer a lens to understand the scripture readings for this Sunday.
the child leaped in her womb.
And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit
and exclaimed with a loud cry,
"Blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And why has this happened to me,
that the mother of my Lord comes to me?
For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting,
the child in my womb leaped for joy."
...And Mary said, "My soul magnifies the Lord,
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor
on the lowly state of his servant."
- Luke 1:41-44, 46-48
- Philippians 4:4
The joy expressed in Luke’s Gospel, as Mary and Elizabeth meet, is an expression of mudita, empathetic joy. Elizabeth rejoices in Mary’s blessedness, and Mary rejoices at the divine work manifesting in her life. Answering the call of the Apostle Paul to "Rejoice in the Lord always," we celebrate the working of the Holy Spirit, the "Awakening Mind" (Bodhicitta) of Christ, in both ourselves and others.
according to the promise he made to our ancestors, to Abraham and to his descendants forever."
- Luke 1:54-55
through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
- Hebrews 10:10
God's loving-kindness (metta) for Israel becomes universal through the life, teachings, and self-sacrifice of Jesus, inspiring us to extend blessings and unconditional love to all beings.
he has scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has brought down the powerful from their thrones, and lifted up the lowly;
he has filled the hungry with good things and sent the rich away empty.
- Luke 1:51-53
The Magnificat’s vision of justice reflects karuna, compassion. God’s action of lifting the lowly and filling the hungry reveals divine empathy and care for those in suffering. Compassion calls us to see the suffering of others as our own, and to work to alleviate it through skillful actions (kusala-kamma).
Let your gentleness be known to everyone. The Lord is near. - Philippians 4:5
Equanimity (upekkhā) is reflected in these readings through the call to peace and gentleness. Equanimity is the foundation of enduring joy and peace, transcending circumstances and enabling a heart that is steady and open in the midst of life’s fluctuations.
As Advent draws to its fulfillment in the celebration of Christ’s birth, the joy of this season is enriched by the practice of the Four Immeasurables, calling us to open our hearts to joy, love, compassion, and peace, allowing the Holy Spirit of the awakening mind to transform us into instruments of divine grace in the world.