Tradition tells us October is the month of the rosary. I know I have said this before, but here I go again! It’s taken me most of my years on this earth to appreciate the rosary. I remember learning to pray it, and I remember praying it a lot when my mom got sick in my late teens and early 20s, but for many years, I avoided it.

Thankfully, the Holy Spirit saw fit to lead me to praying the rosary regularly a few years ago. I recently shared with a friend how the daily rosary has changed my prayer life, which led to her question: how do you make time for it? My answer: it took some trial and error, but I finally realized that I could do two things at one time.

I walk daily for at least two miles and have done so for years, so I started pairing my walk and my rosary in early 2024. Be it on the streets of Cedar Park, on the treadmill at the gym or in my living room, I walk and I pray. During 2025, I listened to the Rosary in a Year podcast while I walked, and that is when the habit really “stuck.” Father Mark-Mary Ames helped me to know and understand the mysteries, and I still refer back to the podcast often.

What have I learned over the last few years as I have prayed? One, Mary always leads us to Christ. Two, I love the Luminous Mysteries. Three, my pace is one rosary for 1.5 miles. Four, sometimes a few Hail Marys are enough (I get tired of talking and just need to listen). Five, it is less difficult (albeit not easy) to keep the devil behind me when my rosary habit is solid.

My prayer habits need a lot of work, but like I told my friend, praying the rosary has changed my heart. And because I can see and feel that change, this was my recommendation to her (and now to you): Try it for the month of October, take it one decade at a time. Grace is guaranteed!