Note: commentaries by non-Catholic authors are marked with an asterisk (*).
The First Commentary on Mark. Edited and translated by Mark Cahill. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998. Probably written by an Irish monk of the seventh century. A delightful example of allegorical exegesis.
Oden, Thomas C., and Christopher A. Hall, eds. Mark. ACCS. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 1998. This series offers rich selections from patristic writings on every passage of the biblical text.
St. Thomas Aquinas. Catena Aurea: Commentary on the Four Gospels, Collected out of the Works of the Fathers. Vol. 2, St. Mark. London: J. G. F. and J. Rivington, 1842. Available online at www.ccel.org/ccel/aquinas/catena2.html. A treasury of short patristic quotations on the Gospels compiled by St. Thomas.
Donahue, John R., and Daniel J. Harrington. The Gospel of Mark. Sacra Pagina. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2002. Succinct commentary; includes a lengthy and informative introduction.
*France, R. T. The Gospel of Mark. NIGTC. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002. Solid, thorough exegesis by a prominent evangelical scholar; designed especially for those who have knowledge of Greek.
*Lane, William. The Gospel of Mark. NICNT). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974. Older, but still a good resource for background information and sound, balanced exegesis.
*Marcus, Joel. Mark 1–8. Anchor Bible. New York: Doubleday, 2000. A detailed but engaging commentary written largely for scholars. The second volume is forthcoming.
Moloney, Francis J. The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2002. A relatively brief commentary full of theological insight.
Popular Commentaries and Study Bibles
Casciaro, Jose Maria, et al., eds. The Navarre Bible: St. Mark’s Gospel. Dublin: Four Courts, 2003 (Spanish original, 1980). The biblical text with exposition and quotations from Church documents and the writings of popes and saints, especially St. Josemaria Escriva, founder of Opus Dei.
Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Gospel of Mark. Ignatius Study Bible. San Francisco: Ignatius, 2007. The biblical text supplemented with thorough and very informative footnotes, often citing the Fathers or Church doctrine.
Martin, George. The Gospel according to Mark. Chicago: Loyola, 2005. An easy-to-read exposition of the basic meaning of the text with helpful information about the world of first-century Palestine.
Perrotta, Kevin. Mark: Getting to Know Jesus; A Guided Discovery for Groups and Individuals. Six Weeks with the Bible. Chicago: Loyola, 2001. A good resource for a Bible study on selected passages of Mark for beginners.
*Wright, Tom. Mark for Everyone. Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2004. Wright is the Anglican bishop of Durham, England, and a prominent New Testament scholar with a gift for communicating biblical insights in a vivid, anecdotal style.