It's not idolatry because we don't actually pray to the saints as you'd pray to God. You're asking the saint(s) to pray for you, much in the same way you'd ask a friend or members of your parish to pray for you.
It's hard to pray directly to God for intercession. Allowing Saints to handle your prayers is much easier and it's much closer to home since they are people too. We are all called to be like Christ but, we will never be like him. We all can be like the Saints, since they are just like us, men and women stuck in this valley of tears, called to be like Christ.
It's not idolatry because we don't actually pray to the saints as you'd pray to God. You're asking the saint(s) to pray for you, much in the same way you'd ask a friend or members of your parish to pray for you.
Jesus intercedes with God for us when we pray, no need to pray to anyone else.
It's hard to pray directly to God for intercession. Allowing Saints to handle your prayers is much easier and it's much closer to home since they are people too. We are all called to be like Christ but, we will never be like him. We all can be like the Saints, since they are just like us, men and women stuck in this valley of tears, called to be like Christ.