Actor Mark Wahlberg has recently opened up about his faith and how it impacts his life.

Appearing on NBC’s Today show, the 51-year-old revealed that he cannot deny his Catholic faith and that he doesn’t try to hide his strong relationship with God.

“It’s a balance,” he told Savannah Guthrie. “I don’t want to jam it down anybody’s throat, but I do not deny my faith. That’s an even bigger sin.”

He continued: “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. But, 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.”

Wahlberg, who sported a cross on his forehead, also credited his discipline within is career to his Catholic faith.

“I’ve been rewarded for it so much, and I want to share that with people, 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. Those things are important,” he expressed.

During his appearance, he also mentioned the importance of fasting during the Lenten season.

The actor told Guthrie: “There are many different elements to fasting. I think the important thing to understand is that, first of all, if you have issues with food, there are other things. 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 [it’s about] being able to detach from those things and focus on good habits as opposed to bad habits.”

He added: “There are challenges for fasting, like today, I won’t have any meat. I’ll have one meal today, and I’ll do that every Friday throughout Lent and Good Friday.”

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