Already nearly two centuries before Benedict, Origen had developed a theology of the inspired word which had a broad influence in antiquity and has recently regained serious attention of theologians and exegetes. He considered the Scriptures to be much more than a record of past events and of theological reflection. The inspired writings in his view are a sacrament that efficaciously imparts grace to those who use them with faith. That means that they not only speak about God and his revelation in and through Christ, but that they also contain and impart his Word. The idea here is that even when the literal meaning of the text escapes our understanding, yet reading it with faith is still a source of grace for the Logos acts through the words.
Scripture is a form of nourishment that strengthens the soul making it strong and healthy.
His sense for the sacramental nature of the Scriptures is fundamentally Catholic and deserves to be cultivated today. Origen himself was an experienced and gifted teacher. He knew how differently disposed are the persons who take up the sacred text and that not all were capable of profiting to the same extent from its use. He explained that the Logos accepts that each person has a distinctive capacity and adapts himself to it. The three senses of Scripture represent such an adaptation.