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"

The present article and the one that will follow it is intended to explain how the parallel texts supplied in our modern translations of the Bible can be used to aid in understanding a passage one is reading. For our purpose, I understand "parallel text" to be "a scriptural passage similar in words or in theme to the bible passage being read." The parallel texts supplied in our modern translations should be understood as minimal helps in the understanding of a given passage. These can still be enriched by the reader's own contact with the sacred page : attentively reading, assiduously remembering the lesson learned, and constantly reflecting on its meaning for his/her life. Following is a discussion of how parallel texts were used by men in the past whose experiences with the Scriptures form the bedrock of the tradition of the lectio divina.

This article, published formerly at Suite101 is about reading Scriptures intelligently. The author explains why.

There are three ideas behind the title "Reading Scriptures Intelligently" that I wish to explain lest I be misunderstood. The first is that any passage of Scriptures must be read and understood as one would read any other piece of human literature, i.e., with the full use of one's God given intelligence. Reading with intelligence, in this first sense would be to read a piece of writing respecting (a) its language, grammar and syntax, and context; (b) the particular way in which it is written (i.e., whether it is written as poetry, or as chronicle, or as a story with a moral lesson, etc.); (c) the intent of the author (in the case of the Scriptures, it is always to proclaim the mighty deeds of God in the history of His people.) In this three-fold way of "respecting" the written Word of Scriptures, we are actually doing homage to the Humanity of the Word of God who -- in the language of St. Augustine -- is echoed forth in the many human voices of the books of the Bible.

The following article was published in April 2000 by Suite101. Here, the author begins to discuss practical ways of doing the "lectio."

"The lectio divina arose as a form of personal prayer in that solitude which, having all the characteristics of that prayer "in secret" (Mt. 6:6), allows one to have a transforming experience with the Lord, ..." Luciano Pachomio, Lectio Divina, p. 50

The previous articles have described in a general way the theory behind "lectio divina". In this and in the following articles, I wish to discuss "how" it is done. This being the first article on the practical aspects of the lectio divina, I will share with you some guidelines drawn from the practise of the monks and the Fathers of the Church relevant to the practice of the lectio.

This article looks at "lectio divina" -- the spiritual reading of the Scriptures -- as it is explained in the fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The article was published at Suite101 for March 2000.

The fourth part of the Catechism of the Catholic Church is dedicated to prayer. It should not be surprising that the lectio divina is discussed in these pages since the "lectio" is a prayerful reading of the Scriptures. It is a conviction dating back to the Fathers that "when you read the Scriptures, God speaks to you; when you pray, you speak to God" (cf. CCC, par. 2653). Five paragraphs will serve as our basis for the discussion that follows, namely: pars. 2653, 2654, 2705, 2706 and 2708. The first two paragraphs (2653 and 2654) set forth the connection between prayer and the reading of Scriptures; the last three (2705, 2706 and 2708) deal with Scriptures as a source book for meditation.

In this article originally published at Suite101 the author explains the meaning of "Word of God" and draws practical consequences from it.

This article, originally published at Suite101.Com deals with the meaning of "Scriptures" on the one hand, and "Word of God" in the other. While it is correct to say that "Scriptures is Word of God" it is incorrect to say that "Word of God is Scriptures." The author explains this using three passages from the new testament.

During one Theology class with our college freshmen, I asked one student what the Bible is. Without hesitating, he answered: "The Word of God." Turning to another, I asked: "But what is the Word of God?" This one looked at me and said: "The Bible."

Why do we read the Scriptures? In this article, which was originally published at Suite101.Com. The author discusses three reasons why the reading of Scriptures is necessary: (a) because it is nourishment for the faith; (b) because it allows us to read the meaning of our daily lives, and (c) because it allows us to have fellowship with one another, anchored on the One Christ proclaimed by the apostles.

The importance of Holy Scriptures in the life of a Christian is undeniable. The Scriptures themselves bear testimony to this importance. I will give just three examples here with some commentary: