Intercession through saints?

I am a German traditional Lutheran and my church is on the verge of splitting into two too-small-to-reasonably-survive parts. Naturally I came to admire the unity that being catholic offers. Even though it would be greatly against my Lutheran tradition I grew up in, I have considered what would be necessary to make me convert to Catholicism. I see that many problems that were addressed at the reformation have been signs of their time and fixed by now. I also understand that at first it was never Luther's intention to create a new church and it was mainly his excommunication and the pressure of worldly dukes he relied on militarily that drove him to create such parallel structures.

What still keeps me at a distance is the extreme veneration of Mary but that is a thing I can tolerate. The importance and presence of angels is kinda cool, but also something I have to get used to.

What I don't see is the intercession of saints. I get the veneration of saints as good examples for Christlike life, and I get learning church history to get closer to them, but the intercession of saints, asking them to pray for you before god is weird to me. I know you can ask others to pray for you, but those people are usually alive. It doesn't fit in my understanding of the afterlife. I believe we all get resurrected at the same time, at the end of time, is that not so? If someone has bible verses or church teaching regarding that, it would be greatly appreciated. Also the ability of those interceding saints to hear your pleas suggests a kind of all-knowledge of my life I only apply to god. Again, the time when "all my life is laid bare" or some such is only after the return of Christ, isn't it?

Advice would be highly appreciated, thanks in advance!