Mark Wahlberg doesn’t hide his relationship with God, whether it’s through open discussion of his Catholicism or donning an ash cross on his forehead on Ash Wednesday.
And on Ash Wednesday, February 22, the “Father Stu” actor gave a demonstration of this while appearing on TODAY.
The 51-year-old explained it as a balance in his routine to talk about religion with co-anchor Savannah Guthrie. While he does not wish to force his opinions on anyone, he does not back down from them either. It is a more serious sin. He cannot refute his beliefs, even though they are not widely held in his field. It’s imperative that he tell others about this. But because he has friends from all backgrounds and from other religions and sects, he must also appreciate and honor them.
In an earlier interview from April 2022, Wahlberg made it clear that he continues to treat his four children with wife Rhea Durham with the same attitude of “share but don’t push.”
As a guest narrator and paid ambassador for the Catholic prayer app Hallow, Wahlberg went into further detail when he sat down with Savannah to talk about the Lenten season and the fasting periods that are a part of it.
Wahlberg claimed that there are numerous unique aspects to fasting. The most important thing to keep in mind is that there are alternate solutions if one has eating issues. God knows what he wants people to cut themselves off from. Everyone has gone through situations that have caused them to feel guilty or less than they should. Therefore, it’s about having the ability to distance yourself from those things and focus on healthy routines rather than bad ones. Fasting has certain challenges, including as today’s ban on meat. Like every Friday during Lent and Good Friday, he will only eat one meal today.
Wahlberg will also lead listeners through encouraging lectures on the discipline of fasting as part of the Hallow app’s Pray40 Lent Challenge.
He noticed that people may be their best selves when they have the discipline to get through the challenges of Lent.
That is what he has observed, at least.
He said that discipline has always been important to him in life. As he transitioned from music to movies, he realized he needed a lot more discipline in his life, and that discipline has given him a lot of other benefits. He has been so richly rewarded for it, that he wants to share it with others, whether it be through fasting, increased exercise, disengagement from other activities, or simply spending more time in prayer and thorough study with God. They are important things to think about.
When asked to sum up his religion, Wahlberg responded, “It’s everything.”
He continued by saying that it had provided him with a lot of opportunities. God obviously did not send Himself to save the believers. Jesus was sent to save the lost. One has experienced experiences in life that have made them want to be better versions of themselves, and focusing on his faith has assisted him in doing just that.