[[Hi Sister Laurel, How important is Scripture in the life of a diocesan hermit? I have never learned to appreciate Scripture very much, and it doesn't make a lot of sense to me always when I try to read it. Is there something that could help me with this?]]
Personally I feel that Scripture is essential to the life of a hermit. We are called above all to be persons who are in dialogue with the Word of God. That is really the essence of our solitude --- and the foundation of our identities as persons. The fruit of this dialogue is characterized as "the silence of solitude," which is really the charism or gift of this vocation given by God to the Church and world in such lives. My own vow of obedience describes my life as "an expression of God's Solitary Word" and binds me to attentive hearkening (listening and responding) to this Word in all the ways it comes to me, whether that is through Scripture, Sacraments, Church teaching, superiors or others. While I don't mention all of these, they are at least implicitly included, but especially Scripture itself. The vow reads:
[[I acknowledge and accept that God is the author of my life and that through his Word, spoken in Jesus Christ, I have been called by name to be. I affirm that in this Word, a singular identity has been conferred upon me, a specifically ecclesial identity which I accept and for which I am forever accountable. Under the authority of the Bishop of the Diocese of Oakland, I vow to be obedient: to be attentive and responsible to Him who is the foundation of my being, to his solitary Word of whom I am called to be an expression, and to the whole of His People to whom it is my privilege to belong and serve.]]
My point is that all of this is a function of spending time with the Scriptures day in and day out or at least on a regular basis. Your own commitment in time is as important as mine (your identity is also founded on the Word of God); it will also no doubt differ from mine and that is entirely as it should be, but one needs to be patient and persistent nonetheless.

Next, choose something you can read WITH Scripture (especially AFTER you have read the daily passage a few times on your own). One of the best series of books out there is by NT (Tom) Wright. Each volume is named after a different book of the Bible along with "For Everyone" --- thus Mark for Everyone, Matthew for Everyone, etc. These ARE NOT the study guides by a similar title. You can get the volumes for all four Gospels at once (6 volumes for about $70) or you can get them as you go (probably good to begin with). Wright also has several volumes out on Lenten readings (years A, B, C) and on the Sunday readings (Years A, B, and C are available singly or in a single volume). If you decided each week to ONLY focus on the Sunday readings (entirely legitimate!!!), that would be terrific and you could use these as well. Another author that has some good reflections for each Sunday of the year is Jose Pagola (Following in the Footsteps of Jesus). There are MANY other books of reflections, etc which can assist you (including small pamphlets like Magnificat) so I would suggest you speak to your pastor for his own suggestions or to others in your parish that read Scripture regularly. Alternately you can email me about what does and does not work for you and we can find something that is helpful. By the way, if you own a Kindle or similar device you can carry your Bible and other books on there easily and unobtrusively --- though it is not always as easy to access select passages.

You and I and every other Christian (every other human being for that matter) are and are called to BE a dialogue with God. THAT is what makes us genuinely human and what diminishes us most profoundly when it is missing, compromised, or mitigated. One of the ways we make sure the truth of this is real in our own lives is by an assiduous engagement with Scripture. These are the stories from which we live, the characters we should know intimately, and a context which makes a different sense of our lives than do other contexts. The Church is clear that Christ's presence in the proclaimed Scriptures is as real as it is in the Eucharist; thus we have a liturgy of the Word and a liturgy of the table. Both dimensions of Mass are salvific and Sacramental.
I hope this is helpful.