Mark Wahlberg says faith is ‘not popular in my industry,’ but he won’t deny his

Mark Wahlberg is sharing an important message of faith on Ash Wednesday.

Fans may recognize Wahlberg as an actor, producer and entrepreneur, but some may not realize he's also a devout Catholic. He spoke about his faith and values during an appearance on "Today."

"[Faith] 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," Wahlberg told Savannah Guthrie.

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While Wahlberg is open about his faith, he doesn't want to force it on 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 explained. "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."

"I have 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."

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Wahlberg appeared on the morning show with ashes in the shape of a cross on his forehead while wearing a buttoned-collared black shirt with matching pants. 

Ash Wednesday marks the first day of Lent, and the "Father Stu" actor is sharing inspiring lessons on fasting in a Catholic prayer app called "Hallow." Wahlberg is a guest narrator on the platform and discussed his "Pray 40-Day Lent Challenge."

The 51-year-old spoke candidly about how believers can challenge themselves on the holy day of 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.

The award-winning actor added that "discipline" plays a key role in his life and suggested others follow suit.

"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 told the media outlet. "And that discipline has afforded me so many other things." 

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"I want to share that with people. So whether that's with fasting… detaching from other things and just spending more time with God in prayer or in thoughtful reflection and those things are important."

The Boston native shares four children with Rhea Durham, his wife of 13 years: Ella, Michael, Brendan and Grace. 

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In October, he announced he left Hollywood and moved to Nevada in order to provide a "better life" for his family. 

Although faith is important to the "Uncharted" actor, he noted he doesn’t force it on his children.

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"Before I was like, ‘all right, everybody's got to be in Catholic school. We got to go to Mass every Sunday.’ But that can also create some resentment. I want them to gravitate toward it in a very natural way," he confessed.  

"I want them to understand that dad has to start his day by getting on his hands and his knees. And no matter where I am, the priority on Sunday is to go to church."