Actor Mark Wahlberg spoke out about standing firm in his faith despite his time in Hollywood.
During an interview with “Today,” Savannah Guthrie noted Wahlberg serves as a voice on the Catholic prayer app Hallow.
He shared with Guthrie how he is open about his faith without forcing it upon anyone.
“It’s a balance. I don’t wanna jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith. That’s an even bigger sin,” he said.
Wahlberg added, “You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but, you know, I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people.”
The actor acknowledged he has “friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so you know, it’s important to respect and honor them as well.”
When asked what his faith means to him, Wahlberg said, “It’s everything, it’s afforded me so many things… God didn’t come to save the saints, He came to save the sinners… We want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing my faith, it’s allowed me to do that.”
Watch the interview below:
Mark Wahlberg is joining us to talk about the Catholic prayer app ‘Hallow,’ discusses fasting, opens up about why it’s important for him to not deny his faith, shares why he doesn’t force Catholicism onto his children, and more. pic.twitter.com/TrUy1g9eMT
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) February 22, 2023
His appearance on the show came on Ash Wednesday.
USA Today explained Ash Wednesday is “a day of repentance, when Catholics and Christians confess their sins and profess their devotion to God leading up to Easter.”
It is also the beginning of Lent.
When discussing the matter of fasting during Lent, Wahlberg explained, “God knows the things that he wants you to detach from… we all know those things that… make us feel guilty, don’t make us feel as good as we should. So being able to detach from those things and focus on… good habits as opposed to bad habits… just challenging people to be better versions of themselves.”
Additionally, Wahlberg shared his own experience with discipline.
“Discipline has always been important for me in life. Once I started getting into movies and transitioned from music, I realized I needed a lot of discipline in my life,” he said, adding, “And that discipline has afforded me so many other things.”
While speaking to USA Today, William Johnston, associate professor of religious studies at the University of Dayton, explained the significance of the day.
“It’s pretty well recognized that (Ash Wednesday) is one of the days which – even people who aren’t all that regular in church participation – some of them come to church on Wednesday as well,” Johnston said.
He added, “It just has kind of strong cultural connections folks participate in.”