RC.Net has a section on the Early Fathers on the Scriptures which contains selections from the Fathers of the Church about the Scriptures.
The Fathers of the Church bridge the gap between the Apostles, their immediate successors and us. They are witnesses of how the Tradition of the Apostles have been handed down to us. Perhaps it is because of their place in the history of the transmission of the apostolic tradition that they have a peculiar way of understanding the Scriptures. We call this "peculiar way" of understanding the Scriptures, the "spiritual understanding of Scriptures"
Vatican II's Dei Verbum tells us that after understanding the humanity of the Scriptures through exegesis, we should not fail to grasp what it says "in the Spirit". "In order to properly understand the Scriptures, one must read them in the same spirit in which they were written." The Fathers of the Church show us how to do this.
What do the church fathers think about the reading of the Bible? They show us that it's not just an intellectual activity, but more importantly a spiritual one. It's going to school with the Holy Spirit. How can one prepare for fruitful study and meditation? Origen says, "The Word of God is in your heart. The Word digs in this soil so that the spring may gush out." Jerome wrote: "You are reading? No. Your betrothed is talking to you. It is your betrothed, that is, Christ, who is united with you. He tears you away from the solitude of the desert and brings you into his home, saying to you, "Enter into the joy of your Master."
