Mark Wahlberg has revealed details about his connection with God.

Given his firm belief in Catholicism, it's appropriate that Wahlberg portrayed the leading role in Father Stu.

The 51-year-old actor appeared on NBC's Today program on Ash Wednesday, which marks the first day of Lent in the Christian calendar, wearing a cross made of ash on his forehead.

In the interview, Wahlberg discussed how his religious convictions have influenced his personal life, relationships, and his career as an actor. You can watch the interview here:

Despite having strong religious convictions, Wahlberg pointed out that he does not

Nonetheless, he asserted that he does not "reject his faith" and added: "It's a balance."

The actor 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."

Although Wahlberg follows Catholicism, he doesn't impose it on his children. Nevertheless, he expects his children to honor his religious practices.

"They know that Dad can't start the day without being in prayer, can't start the day without reading my Scripture or going to Mass," Wahlberg continued.

"And hopefully, instead of forcing that on them, they'll say, 'Well, if it works for Dad, maybe it'll work for us,' and they'll kind of gravitate towards it on their own."

Wahlberg began fasting for Lent yesterday, but he acknowledges that fasting can take various forms and should be adaptable, especially for individuals who struggle with food-related problems.

The 51-year-old explained: "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."

"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."

The practice of adhering to Catholicism also helped Wahlberg in his acting career by reinforcing his discipline.

He resolved: "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, 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.

"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."