II. How a begotten one becomes a saint - The process by which an individual is made a saint within the church is known as canonization, and has been used by church leaders (with many modifications to the process) since the 10th century. Only individuals who have led lives of extreme piety and devotion to God (a trait known as heroic virtue) or those who have suffered martyrdom for the faith can be considered for the sainthood. As it now stands, the person to be considered for canonization should already have been dead for a period of at least 50 years (although this requirement has frequently been waived by Pope John Paul II) and have been credited with at least two miracles. Miracles can only be attributed to an individual under consideration for canonization after they have died. The Church believes that when a miracle is performed through the intercession of a deceased individual, it is the Lord's way of letting us know that that person is with God in heaven.
III. Beatification - Before individuals are promoted to sainthood they are first beatified by the church (again, there have been exceptions to this rule). Beatified individuals are addressed by the church as blessed (just as saints are always addressed as saint). Beatified individuals are usually allowed to be venerated like a saint in the area where that person lived or performed his or her service to God; and like canonization, beatification is an official declaration by the Church that an individual is with God in heaven. Although beatification is the first step towards sainthood and is considered a great honor, it should be noted that not all those beatified by the church have been promoted to sainthood.
IV. Intercession of the saints - It is a common misconception among non-Catholics that Catholics pray to the Virgin Mary and the saints as they would pray to God. While there are indeed devotional prayers addressed to Mary and the various saints, they are of a different nature than the ones addressed to God. Catholics recognize the supreme authority of the Blessed Trinity; therefore, when praying to God the Father, Jesus the Son, or to the Holy Spirit, Catholics always use the phrase have mercy on us. However, prayers directed at Mary and the saints always use the phrase pray for us. It is not uncommon for people of all faiths to ask others to pray on their behalf, because the intercession of another person on your behalf is a powerful plea to God. Likewise, Catholics ask Mary and the saints to pray for them to God, because their special relationship with God makes their prayers on our behalf more powerful still, increasing the likelihood of God granting us whatever it is we're praying for.
V. Patron saints - Due to the nature of the lives many of the saints have led, individual saints have become associated with a particular aspect of life that is commonly prayed about. For example, according to legend, St. Christopher dedicated his life to carrying on his back people who were trying to cross a deep river near his home. Because of this, he is now considered the patron saint of all travelers, and those who are about to embark on a journey often ask him to pray to God to ensure their safe travel. There are patron saints for everything ranging from lost causes to newlywed couples, and even nations have patron saints of their own, such as St. Patrick of Ireland.
VI. Images/Relics of the saints - It is another common misconception among non-Catholics that Catholics worship crosses and other images (or to put it more bluntly, Catholics are often accused of worshipping idols). Once again, this is not the case. Catholics operate from what is called the Incarnation Principle: they sometimes make use of images, statues, medallions, relics, and other objects to call to mind their relationship with God and the relationship that God has had with the saints of the past. These objects remind Catholics of the example of a particular saint, their nearness to God, and their power to intercede on behalf of human beings here on earth. This is why we wear crosses, miracle medallions, and other religious icons. When we think of them, they inspire us to behave like better Christians, and we're inspired because these objects remind us of the example left to us by Jesus and by the saints.
