Scripture and Devotion

Σὺ οὖν, κύριε υἰε, προηγουμένως πρόσεχε τῇ τῶν θείων Γραγῶν ἀναγνώσει· ἀλλὰ πρόσεχε· πολλῆς γὰρ προσοχῆς ἀναγινώκοντες τὰ θεῖα δεόμεθα· ἵνα μὴ προπετέστερον εἴπωμέν τινα, ἤ νομίσωμεν περὶ αὐτῶν· καὶ προσέχων τῇ τῶν θείων ἀναγνώσει μετὰ πιστῆς καὶ Θεῷ ἀρεσκούσης προλήψεως, κροῦε τὰ κεκλεισμένα αὐτῆς, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται σοι ὑπὸ τοῦ θυρωροῦ, περὶ οὖ εἰπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· 'Τούτῳ ὁ θυρωρὸς ἀνοίγει.' Καὶ προσέχων τῇ θείᾳ ἀναγνώσει, ὀρθῶς ζήτει καὶ μετὰ πίστεως τῆς εἰς Θεὸν ἀκλινοῦς τὸν κεκρυμμένον τοῖς πολλοῖς νοῦν τῶν θείων γραμμάτων. Μὴ ἀρκοῦ δὲ τῷ κρούειν καὶ ζητεῖν· ἀναγκαιοτάτη γὰρ καὶ ή περὶ τοῦ νοεῖν τὰ θεῖα εὐχὴ· ἐφ' ᾖ προτρέπων ὁ Σωτὴρ, οὐ μόνον εἰπε τό· ' Κρούετι, καὶ ἀνοιγήσεται ὑμῖν,' καὶ τό· ' Ζητεῖτε καὶ εὐρήσετε,' ἀλλὰ καὶ τό· 'Ἀιτεῖτε, καὶ δοθήσεται ὑμῖν.' Ταῦτα ἀπὸ τῆς πρὸς σέ μου πετρικῆς ἀγάπης τετόλμηται. Εἰ δ' εὐ ἔχει τὰ τετολμημένα, ἢ μὴ, Θεὸς ἂν εἰδείη, καὶ ὁ Χριστὸς αὐτοῦ, καὶ ὁ μετέχων πνεύματος Θεοῦ καὶ πνεύματος Χριστοῦ. Μετέχοις δὲ καὶ σὺ, καὶ ἀεὶ αὔξοις τὴν μετοχὴν, ἴνα λέγῃς οὐ μόνον τό· 'Μέτοχοι τοῦ Χριστοῦ γεγόναμεν,' ἀλλὰ καὶ, μέτοχοι τοῦ Θεοῦ. Ὀριγεν, Ἐπιστολὴ Προς Γρεγοριον τον Θαυματουργόν

Do then, fine son, carefully devote yourself to the reading of the Sacred Scriptures. Devote yourself, for we who read the Divine things have need of much devotion lest we should say or think anything recklessly about them, and devoting yourself thus to the reading of Divine things, with faithful ideas pleasing to God, knock at the locked doors, and it will be opened to you by the porter, about whom Jesus says, 'To this one the porter opens.'1 And devoting yourself to the reading of Divine things, seek correctly, with unwavering faith in God, the hidden things of the Holy Scriptures which by many have been overlooked. Be not satisfied with knocking and seeking, for prayer is most necessary for the knowledge of Divine things. For to this the Saviour exhorted, saying not only, 'Knock and it shall be opened to you,'2 and 'Seek and you shall find,'2 but also, 'Ask, and it shall be given unto you.' 2 In these things my paternal love for you has made me bold but whether my boldness be good, God will know, and His Christ, and he who partakes of the Spirit of God and the Spirit of Christ. May you also be a partaker, and be always increasing your participation, that you may say not only, 'We have become partakers of Christ,'3 but also partakers of God. Origen, Letter to Gregory Thaumataurge 1 Jn 10.3 2 Mt 7.7  3 Heb 3.14