For Catholics, as for other Christians, the Bible is the Word of God. All other church writings are about God. For this reason, the Bible has a central place in the worship, theological reflection, and daily life of Catholics. It is true that Catholics in the past tended to use the Bible mostly for worship (e.g. readings at celebrations of the eucharist) and theological reflection. There was little encouragement for Catholics to read the Bible on their own. There are historical reasons for this; hopefully this is being corrected.
What does it mean that the Bible is the Word of God? We recognise that God does not speak "in words"; humans do. So the words contained in the Bible are words written and edited by human authors in the language and particular outlook of their culture and times. On the other hand, Catholics believe that, by means of limited human words, God is able to convey a message that is true regardless of the historical and cultural situation. The challenge of interpretation is to distinguish, through study and prayer, the meaning of a biblical passage that is limited to the particular cultural or historical outlook of its author(s), and the meaning that goes beyond the limits of any cultural or historical outlook. (So, for example, Catholics now agree that when biblical authors speak of matters specifically relating to science, they do so on the basis of the knowledge that they once had. We need not accept them as scientific truths for all time.)
This is, however, the usual way God works. In the incarnation, God took upon himself the flesh, blood, and bones of humans with all our limitations, for the sake of our salvation. Here, when discussing how God reveals himself through the Bible, we see that God uses human words, limited though they be, to teach us something about himself and his plan for us. Why does he bother to do this? Again, for the sake of our salvation. How considerate and respectful our God is toward us!
To help to interpret the Bible, Catholics recognise the value of good scholarship. There are many approaches used by Bible scholars; one of the most widely accepted is the historico-critical method. Its aim is to understand (as far as our current knowledge of history, archaeology, cultural studies etc. will allow) the literal sense of a biblical text, i.e. what a text may have meant to the person(s) writing it and the original audience (What did these images mean to them? Why this particular style of writing? Why these words?) This is where Catholics begin when trying to understand the meaning of a biblical text. Obviously understanding the literal sense is an ongoing, collaborative effort. No single Catholic will have all the skills and knowledge needed to understand bible texts in this way. Luckily we are part of a church community.
Another type of scholarly reflection on the Bible (especially by the early teachers of the church--the so-called "Church Fathers"--in preparing homilies for Mass) helps us to understand biblical texts in the context of the whole Bible. The Bible is in fact not one book but a collection of many books; even single books may have been written over very long periods of time by different authors and editors. So when and how was the collection put together? By the leaders of two communities of believers -- the Jewish people between 400-100 BC and the early Christians several centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ. Catholics believe that these communities were inspired by God to select and put together a collection ( a "Canon") of writings that best expressed their common faith. So understanding the canonical sense of a Bible passage helps us to understand (to the extent that it is possible) how these communities of believers related the passage to other parts of the collection (how, for example, Old Testament passages relate to New Testament ones. The next time you are at Sunday Mass, try to listen to the first and second readings in light of the Gospel.) Again no single Catholic will have the skills and knowledge to understand the canonical sense of a Bible passage. A community is needed!
For Catholics, Bible passages also have what is called a spiritual sense. Catholics believe that the Bible has a meaning not just for the people writing the various books and their audience, nor for the people putting together the collection and their audience. It has a meaning for us today. Catholics believe that the Word of God continues to nourish our spiritual lives, individually and as part of the church. This does not mean that we should look to the Bible for a specific answer to every problem in our lives. But it does mean that our starting point as Catholics, when reflecting individudally and as a church on matters of faith and morals, should begin with what the Bible, considered as a whole, teaches. (So, for example, whenever the pope or the bishops write to Catholics to highlight a teaching, they often provide its Biblical basis.) For this Catholics rely on the guidance of God in their hearts and also on the teaching authority of the church (which has had a long time to reflect on the meaning of Biblical passages).
We understand now that trying to understand passages of the Bible is not an immediate thing. It requires prayer, study, and reliance on the help of others in the church. The most important thing to remember about the Bible is that it is rich in meaning. Our understanding of Biblical passages develops as our understanding and faith, as individuals and as a church, develops. Finally, it is important to remember that the Word of God is meant to be held close to our hearts. The more we read and pray the words of the Bible, the more we are able to be transformed by God so that we come to embody what he reveals to be good.
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