Choose a Bible you can actually use
Look for a Catholic edition with the complete Catholic canon, clear chapter and verse numbering, and introductions or notes. The US bishops recommend reading prayerfully and paying attention to literary context. A study note can help you distinguish a historical detail from an image, a poem, or a parable. [1]
Why start with Mark?
Mark offers a relatively short route through Jesus’ public ministry, Passion, and Resurrection. Its introduction in the bishops’ Bible gives background that can help you read the whole work rather than treating each episode as an isolated quotation. [2]
A seven-session route into the Gospel
Session 1: Mark 1:1–20. Notice how the Gospel begins and how the first disciples are called. Session 2: Mark 1:21–45. Follow the movement between public ministry and a quiet place for prayer.
Session 3: Mark 2:1–17. Attend to the people who come to Jesus and the questions others raise. Session 4: Mark 4:1–20. Read the parable and its explanation together. Session 5: Mark 4:35–41. Notice the disciples’ fear and their question at the end.
Session 6: Mark 5:21–43. Follow both encounters without rushing past the interruption. Session 7: Mark 6:30–44. Look at what the disciples notice and what Jesus asks them to do. These selections are a beginning, not a substitute for reading the rest of the Gospel.
Ask three questions as you read
What does the passage actually say? Summarize it in a sentence before deciding what it means for you. Who is speaking, to whom, and in what setting? Then ask what you need to understand better. Write a question mark beside an unfamiliar word or custom.
Finally, ask how you might respond in prayer or action. You could give thanks, ask for understanding, or identify a specific way to listen more carefully to someone. Keep that response connected to the text rather than making every verse confirm something you already wanted to do.
What if a passage is confusing?
Read a little before and after it. Consult the introduction or notes in your edition. Write down the exact reference so you can bring the question to a parish Bible study or a knowledgeable teacher. You do not need to settle every difficult question before continuing.
Avoid measuring progress only by pages completed. One carefully read scene can be a better beginning than several chapters skimmed to satisfy a target. If the plan is too much for your schedule, divide a session across two days.
Where to go after the first week
Continue through Mark in manageable sections, including the Passion and Resurrection. Then consider Luke and Acts, or begin following the daily Mass readings alongside your continuous reading. A Gospel read from beginning to end and the readings heard at Mass offer different, complementary ways to spend time with Scripture.
Keep a short list of questions and return to it after several weeks. You may find that later passages clarify earlier ones. Invite a friend to read the same passage and discuss what the text says before sharing personal applications.
Sources & further reading
Practical routines are suggestions; sources support the explanations of Catholic teaching and practice. Our editorial approach · Suggest a correction.