Hollywood actors Mark Wahlberg and Jonathan Roumie (The Chosen) have kicked off their ‘Pray 40’ Lent challenge. Wahlberg and Roumie wore crosses of ashes on their foreheads as they appeared on “Fox & Friends” to promote the Hallow app, in New York. 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.
“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 centre 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 armour to make sure that I’m doing what God has chosen for me to do, that’s something that I take very seriously.”
(Picture Courtesy: AP/The View)