Mark Wahlberg is open about his Catholic faith and wears an ash cross on his forehead to mark the start of Lent, but he keeps his personal relationship with God a secret.
The 51-year-old said of his habit of talking about religion, “It’s a balance,” to co-anchor Savannah Guthrie.
“I don’t want to force my faith on anyone, yet I do not do so. That is a greater sin. Even though it’s unpopular in my profession, I can’t hide my beliefs. I feel it’s crucial to convey such information to others. But it’s crucial to respect and appreciate them as well because I have friends from all different backgrounds and faiths.”
When it comes to the four children he has with his wife Rhea Durham, Wahlberg emphasized that he still retains the same share-but-don’t-push mentality.
Then, he continued, “I don’t push it on them. However, they are aware that Dad cannot begin the day without praying, reading my Scripture, or attending Mass. And ideally, rather than having that imposed on them, they will think, ‘Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it will work for us,’ and they will naturally gravitate toward it.”
“I don’t want to force my faith on anyone, yet I do not do so. That is a greater sin.”
When Wahlberg sat down with Savannah to discuss the Lenten season and the fasting periods that are a part of it, he went into further detail about what works for him as a guest narrator and paid ambassador for the Catholic prayer app Hallow.
Fasting has a variety of components, according to Wahlberg. “I think it’s crucial to realize that there are other aspects to consider if you have problems with eating, first of all. God is aware of the things that you should distance yourself from.”
“Everyone is aware of the behaviors that don’t make us feel as wonderful as we should and make us feel guilty. So it’s about having the capacity to step back from them and concentrate on positive habits rather than harmful ones. Fasting has its drawbacks, such as the fact that I won’t be eating any meat today. Today, as well as every Friday through Good Friday, I’ll eat just one meal.”
In addition, Wahlberg will guide listeners through enlightening teachings on the discipline of fasting as a part of the Pray40 Lent Challenge on the Hallow app.
According to him, the discipline needed to overcome the rigors of Lent makes “people better versions of themselves.”
That is what he has personally observed, at least.
He remarked, “Discipline has always been vital to me in life. I discovered I required a lot more discipline in my life as I started getting into movies and made the switch from music, and that discipline has given me so many other things. I’ve been so richly rewarded for it, and I want to share it with others, whether that be through fasting, more exercise, distancing from other activities, or simply spending more time in prayer or introspective thinking. These things are crucial.”
When asked to summarize his religious beliefs, Wahlberg responded, “Oh, it’s everything.”
He continued, “It’s given me so many opportunities. God obviously did not come to save the faithful. He arrived to deliver the guilty. Focusing on my faith has given me the opportunity to become a better version of myself, which is something we all aspire to do.”