Today's reading from Daniel reminds  me of an incident that happened some years ago . At mass, the deacon who preached began by explaining that the book of Daniel was not contemporaneous with the events there detailed but belonged to that part of the Old Testament considered  to be  "Wisdom Literature" . It was no less inspired by God than the  rest of the scriptures. 

This prompted an outburst from one of the congregation. We were all very embarrassed by this. (We are British you know. )Some years later Lincoln Cathedral was hired out to a film company to be used as a set for a blasphemous production. One person protested against this by kneeling to say the rosary in public in front of the  film location; she was not the erudite deacon.

May studying about your revelations and life on earth not become a detriment to living our lives always in the known presence of God .

Bearing witness to God is the supposed purpose of this record I am making. When I consider what examples some people have been both in  heir lives and in their writings and other legacies my efforts seem very puny But I do know that  I am trying to avoid the self consciousness that results in self-centredness self-promotion. 

Lord let me learn to listen to you and to know your Word for what it is.