Actor and producer Mark Wahlberg appeared on the ‘TODAY’ show Wednesday morning to talk about his faith, the practice of Lent and his participation in the Hallow app’s #Pray40 challenge, in which Wahlberg is joined by actors Jim Caviezel and Jonathan Roumie.
“God didn’t come to save the saints, he came to save the sinners,” said Wahlberg, who noted that his faith “is everything” to him. “We’ve all had things and issues in our lives and we want to be better versions of ourselves, and through focusing my faith, it’s allowed me to do that.”
Mark Wahlberg: God Knows What You Need
Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a season in the Christian liturgical calendar that anticipates Jesus’ resurrection. It ends during Holy Week, the week leading up to Easter Sunday. Other seasons in the Christian calendar include Advent, Easter, and Ordinary Time.
The roots of Lent go back to the practices of early church converts to Christianity, who would fast in preparation for being baptized on Easter morning. Eventually, Lent became associated with Jesus’ 40-day fast in the wilderness.
It is common for modern Christians to choose something to fast from during Lent, whether a type of food, habit, or some other comfort. Participants can break their fast on Sundays, which are “feast days” that foreshadow Easter.
Mark Wahlberg said that today he will only have one meal and no meat and that he will do the same every Friday during Lent. “If you have issues with food, there are other things,” he observed. “God knows the things he wants you to detach from.”
The actor, who is Catholic, challenged people to “be better versions of themselves.”
“Discipline has always been important for me in life,” said Wahlberg. “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, and I’ve been rewarded for it so much and I want to share that with people.”