The 1987 film Babette’s Feast is a story about a Parisian woman, the eponymous Babette, who fled the violence of France’s civil war in the late nineteenth century, the same period of time depicted in Victor Hugo’s Les Miserables.  On the advice of a friend, Babette sought refuge in a small fishing village in Denmark where she worked as housekeeper for two spinster sisters. 

After several years in exile, Babette unexpectedly received a large sum of money, today’s equivalent of about $60,000.  She offered to cook a proper French feast for the spinsters and ten of their friends.  The two spinster sisters assumed that Babette intended to use her newfound wealth to leave the little village immediately after the feast. 

The meal Babette cooked for the group was a feast in every respect.  There were multiple courses, each with a wine pairing, and served on fine porcelain dinnerware.  One of the more memorable dishes was an appetizer of quail stuffed with foie gras and truffles, then baked in puff pastry. 

At first, the sisters and their guests were intimidated by the extravagance of the meal.  By the end of the meal, however, they had learned to enjoy the indulgence provided by a wide range of flavors and cooking preparations; their enjoyment was made all the more poignant by the fact that they were Puritans who eschewed worldly delights. 

When the movie was first released, some people opined that the screenplay could be interpreted as a Eucharistic metaphor.  This interpretation was based on the extravagance of the meal and the selfless generosity of the cook; Babette spent all her newfound wealth on the meal, never intending to leave the little village or the sisters’ employ. 

The Eucharistic interpretation of the story is compelling, but it isn’t quite what the screenwriter had in mind.  The drama and mild comedy of the film is summarized by Babette at the end of the meal.  When the sisters learned that Babette had impoverished herself in order to cook a fine meal for the group, they asked why she would do such an unusual thing.  Babette revealed that, prior to fleeing Paris, she had been head chef at the most prestigious restaurant in France.  She explained her desire to cook a sophisticated French meal for Danish peasants by saying, “Throughout the world sounds one long cry from the heart of the artist: Give me the chance to do my very best.” 

Babette’s impoverished circumstances, the lack of sophistication of her guests, even the reluctance of the guests to participate in the meal made no difference to her at all.  The only thing of importance was that she had an opportunity to do well what she did best.  She found complete satisfaction in cooking a magnificent feast to the best of her ability.   

For Babette, the act was much more important than the result; she was completely satisfied with her effort irrespective of how her effort was perceived by the diners.  Jesus counsels a similar attitude for his disciples in today’s Gospel reading. 

In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus extended the reach of his ministry by choosing seventy-two people from among his disciples and sending them to preach his message of salvation and confirm the message with prophetic signs. (Lk 11:8-9)  

The seventy-two did as Jesus instructed and returned rejoicing because of their successes.  He responded, “do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” (Lk 10:20)  This is an apt description of the vocation to which all the baptized are called.  Each baptized person is sent to proclaim the message of salvation, irrespective of how the message is received.  A disciple’s joy derives, not from the consequences of their discipleship, but from the act of a being faithful disciple. 

The film Babette’s Feast is a moral lesson addressed to all people about the excellency and necessity to use one’s talents well and for the common good.  While the film is a general lesson about life, it can be applied specifically to the life of faith. 

In Baptism, we have been given a priceless gift that is also the highest human calling.  In Baptism, we are made God’s children and sent as emissaries of the Gospel; these require our best efforts at every moment of our lives. 

Success in the life of faith is not measured in terms of public notoriety or popular approval; it is measured validly only by the effort one makes in serving God’s will.  The only result that is an appropriate measure of faith is the act of faith. 

Jesus instructed the joyful disciples that those who will be admitted to the heavenly banquet are the ones who rejoice over their calling and fulfill it to their utmost.  I think we could paraphrase Babette’s statement and make it the guiding principle of our lifelong discipleship: Give me the chance to do my very best for God and the Gospel. 

We rejoice today and every day because of God’s great mercy.  Our rejoicing will last forever if it is directed rightly, and the right direction for our rejoicing is in fulfilling our call as disciples.  Too often, faith is depicted as an act that provides a heavenly reward; Jesus says that faith is its own reward and that heaven is experienced by those who live their faith well and for the sake of the whole world.