I joined a spiritual reflection meeting that includes songs, gospel reading, lay reflection and Fr. Aris, SVD, giving the reflection.
Let me share what I learned: “The Good Samaritan Effect, and where there’s actualized goodwill, one to the other, we create heaven on earth.”
What made it quite memorable in my heart is Fr. Aris shared a story of a fellow priest who visited. Usually, amongst priests, given their limited resources, they split the bill. But, Fr. Aris got a gift of generosity, a meal treat from his brother priest.
When he stopped at a convenience store, he paid for the supplies that he needed, then encountered two young children, about 9yo, who were still in the streets at 10pm. He asked them if they had dinner. “No,” they replied. So, he confidently told them to get whatever they wanted. But, the two did not abuse his generosity and just got one chicken leg with rice.
After receiving the gifts, one boy offered to give up his meal and asked instead for their other friends to be fed. The boy got pesos instead.
Inspired by the generosity of the brother priest, he treated all 7 boys and paid Php 700, equal to $13.00. Still left with more pesos than before, this memory is now seared in his heart and called it the “Good Samaritan Effect.”
I affirmed a similar example of the generosity of Spirit that I learned from my dad, Eleazar. He lost his guerilla parents who were assassinated by Japanese Imperial Soldiers, as a teenager. He went to class, walking barefooted, for miles and pants made from rice sacks. At times, he got fed by generous strangers.
Every Sunday, after mass, when we were with him, he would “pakyaw” buy all the sampaguita garlands from the street vending boys. I remembered him while I visited Vigan with my classmates.
I then saw a taho vendor. I asked him how much does it cost for his two full tubs of taho, a soybean curd drink served with sugar syrup and boba? He gave me a number, just like Fr. Aris, less than my budgeted allowance for the day. I gave it all to him and my classmates got treated to taho. I did not know then that I learned the Good Samaritan effect from my father. I learned that from Fr. Aris.
This is the concept that I had when I sold my book, using the Good Samaritan effect if friends offered to sell my book, Even the Rainbow has a Body, and even now in selling #iylagranola. Even if I give bags away, folks pay.
