Celebrate the human saints

Sometimes we forget that the saints were people like us.  They had similar weaknesses and sinned just like us but overcame it all for love of God.  Getting to know them gives us role models we can follow to Heaven.
For example :

St. Francis of Assisi  -- didn't start out saintly.  He was a spoiled rich boy who loved a party.  When God asked him to "repair my Church", Francis literally repaired church buildings by hand.  Eventually, he became one of the great reformers of the Church, founding the Franciscan Order that thrives today.

St. Jerome -- was known for his bad temper.  It was probably with some relief that the pope sent Jerome off to the solitary task of translating the Bible into Latin.  St. Jerome gave himself up to prayer, penance, and study to produce this labor of love.  The result was that the Word of God became accessible to anyone who spoke the common language, not just the educated few.

St. Marianne Cope -- could seem heartless in her work managing a leper colony in Kalaupapa, Hawaii.  She was steely in maintaining sanitary and health conditions for those with Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) to avoid spreading the frightful disease.  Yet, Mother Marianne's optimism, serenity, and her considerable abilities brought the love of God to the islands of Hawaii.