Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie want you to join them in prayer.
To mark Ash Wednesday, the first day of Lent, they spoke with Fox News on faith, spiritual practice and making Lenten sacrifices.
Roumie, the actor who plays Jesus on “The Chosen,” and Wahlberg, the actor, producer and former rapper, are partnered with the Catholic prayer app Hallow for the Pray40 challenge. Together, they will guide prayers, meditations and scripture readings during the 40 days of Lent.
The actors, who are both Catholic, appeared on the show with ashes on their foreheads, in observance of the holiday.
“It is the beginning of this return to the Lord, returning our hearts to the Lord and fasting from the things that maybe don’t help us in our lives and feasting on the things that do,” Roumie said.
He added that the Pray40 challenge presents an opportunity to “lead our hearts back to the Lord” and “to find peace in the world which is pretty chaotic right now, to take a few minutes out of our days and center ourselves with God.”
Through his partnership with Hallow, Wahlberg encourages people to “stay prayed up,” and carve out time for daily prayer, particularly during this season.
“I’m constantly pursuing a relationship with God. Every day I feel like, if I get on my hands and my knees first thing when I wake up, that the rest of the day is going to be easier — at least I can deal with all the things that are being thrown at me," Wahlberg said.
He continued, “As you get older, things come from every direction, and life can become overwhelming at times, but expressing my gratitude and making sure that I’m wearing that armor to make sure that I’m doing what God has chosen for me to do, that’s something that I take very seriously.”
Hallow’s Pray40 challenge aims to help Christians prepare for Easter and will include fasting advice from Wahlberg and Chris Pratt, as well as readings by Roumie from “The Brothers Karamazov” by Fyodor Dostoevsky.
The meditation and prayer app also assists in prayer-on-the-go, personalized prayer experiences, creating a habit of praying, guided Bible study and providing time for reflection. It’s attracted a host of celebrity spokespeople — including Gwen Stefani, Bear Grylls and Kevin James.
For those who find fasting or other Lenten sacrifices challenging, Roumie offered a bit of guidance.
“You have all of us through this challenge,” Roumie said, referencing the support provided by Hallow’s partners. “Hallow becomes this accountability partner for the next 40 days.”
He added, “You will find strength. Anytime you’re encountering the Lord and you’re asking for his help, he will help you.”
Roumie also took a moment to reflect on getting recognized and approached for his role as Jesus in “The Chosen,” which released its fifth season in the spring.
“It’s just a blessing and a gift for me to be able to kind of be able to transmit God’s love and His compassion towards people (and) that they can feel it by watching a show,” Roumie said.
“It has brought me closer to my faith, and it has made me want to be the best version of myself.”