One of the Church’s greatest mystics and teachers of prayer is St. Teresa of Avila, also known as Teresa of Jesus. Teresa was a Carmelite nun who lived in the 16th century. She led a renewal of the Carmelite Order along with St. John of the Cross. She wrote a number of spiritual classics, including The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection.

Her feast day is this Wednesday, Oct. 15.

St. Ignatius was born in the 1st century AD and was converted to Christianity by the Apostle John. He became a close follower of John and became a priest and a bishop. He was sent to be the Bishop of Antioch. Eventually, he would be arrested and condemned to death because of his faith. Ten soldiers accompanied him to Rome where he was to be executed. Along the way, he wrote a number of epistles (letters) that still exist today. In one of these, he spoke of his approaching execution by being thrown to lions. He wrote that his body is wheat that belongs to Christ, and his death would lead to many conversions.
    
St. Ignatius’ feast day is Friday, Oct. 17.

Saturday, Oct. 18, is the feast of St. Luke, the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel of St. Luke and the Acts of the Apostles. Luke was not one of the Apostles, and he never met Jesus. He was converted sometime after the Ascension and became a friend of both St. Paul and St. Peter. He learned the faith from them and joined Paul on one of his missionary journeys.