'Faith is everything': Devout Catholic Mark Wahlberg says faith is 'not popular' in Hollywood but he won't deny his
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA: Mark Wahlberg spoke about the significance of his Christian faith in his life despite its relative absence in Hollywood. On 'Today' with Savannah Guthrie, Wahlberg, who appeared on the show with a ash cross on his forehead, spoke about his dedication to Catholicism and how his faith transformed his life.
The 'Father Stu' actor thought back on the significance of religion in his life, especially growing up as a Catholic in Hollywood. "[Faith] is 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," Wahlberg said, as per Fox News.
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'It’s not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith'
"It's a balance. I don’t want to jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith," Wahlberg said. "That’s an even bigger sin. You know, it’s not popular in my industry, but I cannot deny my faith. It’s important for me to share that with people."
'Discipline has always been important for me in life'
The 'Departed' actor said he respects others who practiced other religions. "I have friends from all walks of life and all different types of faiths and religions, so it’s important to respect and honor them as well," he said. Wahlberg talked about how his faith gives his life structure. "Discipline has always been important for me in life," he told Guthrie. "Once I started getting into movies and transitioned from music, I realized I needed a lot of discipline in my life, and that discipline has afforded me so many other things."
"I’ve been rewarded for it so much, and I want to share that with people, so whether that’s with fasting, working out more, detaching from other things and just spending more time with God, in prayer or in thoughtful reflection. And those things are important," he continued. The 'Transformers' star openly expresses his devotion for Christianity as a guest narrator and paid spokesman for the Catholic prayer app Hallow. "We've all had things and issues in our lives, and we want to be better versions of ourselves, and, through focusing on my faith, it’s allowed me to do that," Wahlberg said.
The 51-year-old was open and honest about the challenges that believers can set for themselves on the day set aside for prayer. "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," Wahlberg remarked.