A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father by Mark Shriver

I recently received a copy of A Good Man: Rediscovering My Father by Mark Shriver.  For those unfamiliar, Mark's father, Sargent Shriver, was the founder of the Peace Corp under President Kennedy.  The story Mark sets forth though is not a politically charged one but one that shows the wholeness of an authentic, faith-centered family life.

As Mark writes, "Dad was a radical, a hell-raiser who based his revolutionary public service on very orthodox instruction manuals: the Scriptures, his faith's creeds and prayers, and the life of Jesus Christ. . . . Dad lived out applied religion. He applied his faith's ethics every day to everything he did. His paradox--his radical orthodoxy--allowed him to conform to the requirements of a life in public service."  His father attended Mass everyday, even while overseas in the midst of conflict. 

Mark illustrates for us how he found his father again and rediscovered him.  This eulogy is particularly poignant at times and is something many of us can relate to when we have ill parents or grandparents.  I applaud Mark for his work in this book and recommend it.

For Catholics who are convinced that government must foster the common good and should be socially and fiscally responsible, this book is for you.  For Catholics who erroneously believe the Faith isn't timeless and has no place in government, this book is also for you - to help you see the contrary.