Last week, we noted the importance of October as “Respect Life Month.” As we face the challenges of the modern world that often suggest that life is not a gift from the hand of God but merely a biological event dependent upon human choice, October reminds us to “choose life.”

But before October gets too far behind us, we should recall that it has another long-venerated title. It is the month of the rosary.

Just as respect for life is not limited to one month only, many of us also pray the rosary year round. But it is very appropriate and often helpful to have this special time of year when we remind ourselves of why the rosary is such a beloved prayer.

Of course, the rosary is a prayer of Mary. With each Hail Mary, it is as if we witness again Gabriel conveying to her God’s invitation to become the mother of Jesus. That moment when the plan of God descends upon our sinful world to raise us from our faults to eternal life and happiness can’t be repeated too often. That alone would make the rosary a prayer of great value for us.

There is so much more, however. The rosary begins with the Annunciation then follows through the life of Christ and Mary’s role in God’s plan of salvation. Step by step, mystery by mystery, we walk with Mary and contemplate with her what she saw and heard and meditated upon as she watched the life of her son.

That means that the rosary, and indeed devotion to Mary, is not a distraction from Christ. On the contrary, if it is done properly it must draw us closer to him. And that is always Mary’s role.

A key to understanding and praying the rosary is meditation. Instead of being a mystical experience reserved for cloistered religious or monks in the desert, the rosary shows us that meditation is available to us as well.

Let’s return to the First Joyful Mystery, the Annunciation, for example. In praying that decade of the rosary, we can try to place ourselves silently alongside Mary. We can try to imagine certain historical details, such as where was she and what was she doing when she saw the Angel. Then we can simply try to be with Mary throughout that decade of the rosary.

Let the Holy Spirit lead you from there!

If there are mysteries such as the Agony in the Garden or the Scourging at the Pillar, when Mary’s presence is not recorded, we can still be with her as she followed the life and sacrifice of Jesus, sometimes even at a distance.

As we ponder each mystery, don’t let meditation become a burden. Even the best of us can find the mind getting busy and wandering, then being brought back to Mary and the Gospel scene in question.

But our participation in the continual gentle repetition of the prayers is itself a gift of quiet that opens us to grace. The very effort to meditate and the repetition can be a moment of calm to be offered to God, even if distractions pop up.

On Oct. 7, as Pope Benedict XVI celebrated Mass to open the Synod of Bishops that is currently meeting in Rome, he reflected on Mary, Queen of the Holy Rosary. He urged that we recite the rosary as one of our devotions for the Year of Faith.

The Joyful, the Luminous, the Sorrowful, and the Glorious Mysteries all express the basis for our faith in God’s plan and our love for Mary. Too bad October only comes once a year!