With the transition to autumn comes pumpkin spice, falling leaves, cool evenings—and the rosary. The entire month of October is dedicated to the rosary and October 7^th is the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary. In addition, on October 13, 1917, Mary appeared to three shepherd children and said she was the Lady of the Rosary.

Praying the entire rosary takes only about 20 minutes, that’s 20 minutes with Jesus and Mary. The prayers are biblical and the first prayer, The Apostles’ Creed, declares our Christian beliefs. We pray the prayer Jesus taught us, the Our Father (Matthew 6:9-13). The Hail Mary comes from the Annunciation (Luke 1:28) and the Visitation (Luke 1:42). And we give praise with the Glory Be.

Throughout the rosary, we meditate on what we call Mysteries. These Mysteries center on Jesus’ Incarnation, ministry, Passion, death, Resurrection, and Ascension, the Descent of the Holy Spirit, and Mary’s Assumption and Coronation.

As I stated in my little book,  Fatima at 100. Fatima Today, the rosary is a path to peace because it promotes peace within ourselves, and that peace reflects on everyone we encounter. The rhythmic sequence of prayers is very calming and allows us to meditate more fully on the life of Jesus. It draws us closer to Christ because it is Christ-centered. And where Christ is, there is peace.

Why not try this beautiful devotion for yourself? Pray the rosary for a greater sense of peace, to bring you closer to the Lord, or simply, because our Holy Mother asks us to.

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For a fun and reflective read, check out “Our 1950-Early 1960s Moms” on my other blog.