October 15 is the feast day of Saint Teresa of Avila, a virgin and doctor of the Church who, along with Saint John of the Cross, reformed the Carmelite order.
Like Saint John of the Cross, she was known for her many works of theology, including a number of mystical writings.
In preparation for her feast day, I have chosen a Novena to Saint Teresa of Avila for our novena this week. In it, we ask Christ for the grace to imitate the virtues of Saint Teresa. If you begin praying the novena on October 6, you will complete it on October 14, the eve of Saint Teresa's feast day.
(Statue of Saint Teresa of Avila in Serra Church, Mission San Juan Capistrano, California. Photo by flickr user DominusVobiscum; licensed under Creative Commons-Attribution 2.0 Generic)