Saints are Heroes     Many values presented by today's celebrities won't lead to holiness or happiness.     We should introduce our most impressionable to true heroes—the saints.

    The saints were real people. Living a saintly life is not all haloes and holy cards. Some saints had chaotic home lives, worked difficult jobs, and others were known for their tempers. Make a point of reading books or watching movies of you and other's "birthday" saints, or those who share their interests in art, sports, and hobbies, for example. Help the saints come alive.

    Share your favorites. Are there saints or holy people to whom you're especially drawn? Whether famous or lesser-known, tell others about them and what you admire about them. Sharing heroes gives others a chance to understand how to choose role models.

    Draw Comparisons. Few compliments are more powerful than being compared to your hero. When someone demonstrates a virtue for which a saint is known, point it out! "You were generous like St. Elizabeth of Hungary," or "Good job studying for your test—just like St. Thomas Aquinas."

    Seek their advice. Many saints wrote about conquering problems we also face, such as uninspired prayer life, unpleasant work, or temptation. Remind yourself and others that the saints struggled, too, but didn't give up. "What would a saint do?"