Emmanuel Prayer Garden
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak." (Matthew 26: 41)
This instruction was given by Jesus to His disciples, while in the garden of Gethsemane, facing " His hour" of saving the world. He was tempted to give in to the despair and fear; to give up. Through out His life, the success of Jesus's mission to save the world depended a lot on being in company with His Father and the Holy Spirit in prayer.
Jesus faced the same exact battle that we do. Seeing His victory gives us hope. Seeing His example gives us a model. It means that we must have a constant connection with God; that we seek Him for power to overcome temptations , sin and it's effects.
Praying is not an activity ; it is an experience, a journey. Praying helps us connect with life, with ourselves, and very intimately with God. In order to keep watch and pray, we must also keep away from distractions. (see Hebrews 12:2) We can pray while standing, kneeling or sitting down.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:1-2
A prayer garden gives the opportunity to be close to God, to the elements of nature like water, stones, birds, insects and plants while praying. This can bring peace and calm and leave one with a deep-seated feeling of happiness and satisfaction. It reminds us of the original Garden of Eden or paradise,which the Book of Genesis 13: 10 also refers to as the " garden of God".
Namugongo-Kyoto invites you to the Emmanuel Prayer Garden to spend quiet and quality time with God, following the example of Jesus, Mary and the Saints. It's aesthetic uniqueness adds value to our mission of facilitating spiritual retreats and similar exercises.
The garden has been furnished with several devotional images to enrich it's prayer and meditational context. Enough lighting had been provided for prayer and security after dark. It provides the kind of composure that Isaiah 30:15 refers to : " Wait in silence for the voice of the Lord". Better still, it resounds the call of Jesus to His disciples: ' Come away with me. Let us go alone to a quiet place and rest for a while'. ( Mark 6: 31).
It is our hope and prayer that the garden will attract people to come for prayer and also develop the desire to experience retreats in silence.
The prayer garden has been dedicated to Emmanuel ( God - with - us ), a name given to Jesus Christ before His birth (see Matthew 1:23).
By God's design, Emmanuel Cardinal K. Nsubuga (RIP) and Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala played a vital role in the founding and development of this Foyer. We owe them a great deal.
We wish to express our gratitude to His Eminence Emmanuel Cardinal Wamala for blessing the inception of this garden and Archbishop Cyprian Kizito Lwanga (RIP) for blessing it's inspiring Stations of the Cross, during the celebration of the golden jubilee of the existence of Namugongo-Kyoto, on 14th December 2019.
SACRED IMAGES:
Based on God's Commandments against the use of images, many people criticize Catholics for their apparent disobedience. (see Exodus 20: 2-5) It is important to consider the context. God forbade the use of images when pagans made images of false gods and worshipped them. But it progressively became possible, images akin to the true God, especially when Jesus, the Son of God "became the visible image of the unseen God" (see Colossians 1: 15 and John 1: 18).
In that context, sacred images became helpful in creating a sense of the transcendent. Conscious of the example of Mary and the saints, we look forward to finally see God face to face.
DEVOTIONS
Devotion is great love, affection or admiration for someone. Although Christianity is a largely community- centered faith, there are numerous different types of personal devotions and a number of ways in which faith in God can be expressed, depending on the person, culture and circumstances. They are , analogously, the feeder roads that render meaning to the major road. It is incumbent on the Church to approve the devotions that are sound in doctrine, and are helpful for salvation and sanctification. Much as she encourages these devotions, however, the Church does not make them obligatory for all.
Some of the universally practiced devotions are :the Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy, and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Way of the Cross ,the Rosary and others.
