There’s no denying that Fall is another fresh start. Something about the turn of the year and that back-to-school rush feels like a new beginning the same way January 1 does.

Here in FL, the weather has stayed hot and humid. As much as I am super excited to wear jeans again and Fall clothes in general, I’ll probably have to wait a few more weeks before I pull those out consistently. I have, however, participated in other Fall activities like making Pumpkin Spice coffee from Aldi’s and the Pumpkin Spice loaf from Trader Joe’s (holy cow it is AMAZING). I will probably be all pumpkin spiced out by the time November comes around but I’m here for it until that moment comes.

In addition to the Fall festivities, I also like to partake in the various opportunities to live liturgically that the Church offers us. October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary and taking that into account, as well as the general fresh air-ness of the season, I see an opportunity to make this month a sort of reset.

To do this, I am proposing an October Rosary Refresh over the course of the next few weeks. In the spirit of new beginnings, I see this as a chance to focus on making the rosary a part of our daily lives, growing in our love and understanding of that devotion, as well as implementing other habits that nourish and replenish us in some way.

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: Guard your heart with all possible vigilance, for from it flow the wellsprings of life.

As a mother and wife, I see myself as the heart of the family and of the home. As such, I think it is important to ‘guard’ or take care of myself so that I can be a joyful and fruitful ‘wellspring of life’ for my family and community.

One of the essential pillars of self-care is prayer. Prayer gives us the grace we need to carry out the responsibilities God has given us and um, not lose our minds when someone sharpied all over the white antique chair in the living room (hairspray does help with this, friends).

Prayer is also essential to grow as a person, to cultivate the virtues that will make our lives easier and happier.

We know Mary is the mediatrix of graces, we look to her for her intercession and the rosary is one of the greatest tools for this purpose.

The holy Rosary is a powerful weapon. Use it with confidence and you’ll be amazed at the results.” — St. Josemaria Escriva

So if you want to join me in taking advantage of the change of season season for a little revamping in life, here’s what we’re gonna do:

1. Commit to saying the rosary daily for the month of October (tips for this below).
2. Share our intentions for our prayers this month! Share it in the comments and I will share them in the next post so we can all be praying for each other.
3. Bonus points if you post about taking up this new habit using #rosaryrefresh and tag me @ms.mirandakate.

Tips for praying the rosary:

If you’re like me and successfully put off prayer over and over again, here are some suggestions for making sure it actually happens

• Pray it while you’re doing chores or errands. I use Hallow to do this while I empty the dishwasher or do laundry, something mindless that still allows me to at least try to focus on the actual prayer.
• Ask your spouse or a friend to do it with you. I’m all about accountability. When my husband and I recently prayed the 54-day Novena, we didn’t miss it once—no matter how exhausted we were or how late it was. If either of us had tried to accomplish this on our own, I think our chances of completing it would have been dramatically lower.
• Attach it to a habit you have established already. If you go for a morning walk, do it then. If you drive every day, start it the moment you get in the car, or as soon as you put your little ones down for a nap. The old habit will be the cue for you to start the rosary.
• Accompany it with something you enjoy. Maybe you incorporate some beautiful classical music in the background or look at your favorite religious artwork as you pray. Or sip a hot cup of coffee in your favorite armchair, the point is to make it enjoyable and not something you dread.
• Don’t be a perfectionist about it. Your mind is going to wander, you might even forget what prayer or mystery you’re on. That’s okay. We’re not trying to pray the most devout rosary that has ever been prayed, but rather accept in humility our littleness (as St. Therese would say!) and offer our prayer up flawed and imperfect as it is.

That’s it! Next week I will post the intentions you share. My prayer intention is that we all will be the women we are called to be and joyfully carry out God’s will for our lives!

Enjoy all the Fall things!!!

In camaraderie

Miranda,