Beatification...Deification...what's the difference?

Now that Pope John Paul II is dead there is quite a furor about his upcoming sainthood. The new Pope, Benedict the XVI, seems likely, along with the remaining cardinals of the Vatican to see this through. I'm curious to see what two miracles they will attribute him.

Although not an exact analogy it sure resembles the events of ancient Rome and it's forebears. I mean you have Augustus, working through the senate, and declaring his great-uncle Julius Caesar a god with the intention that upon his death this tradition would continue. And continue it did when Tiberius, Augustus's adopted son now Caesar, made him a god.

OK, so godhood and sainthood aren't quite the same thing. Also, these newly canonized saints didn't exactly request this honor and those venerable lords of Rome made it a life's pursuit at the end.

But still, doesn't it just kind of cheapen the whole concept of saint? Pope John Paul II beautified 1,340 people during his reign as Pope. That's a lot.

There are over 10,000 saints. I mean the patron saint of janitors is a guy called Theobald, Bartholomew is the patron saint of plasterers.

I mean come on! Can you imagine his disappointment when after he dies, after all his work, he gets to be the patron of dudes in big baggy outfits stuccoing some suburban residence. No he could of been the patron of anything! Heck, even Saint Lucy got eye diseases. But he's stuck with plasterers.