A Kitchen Conclave for the Summer

Jake Frost and his family decided to emulate the College of Cardinals with a prayer for the Holy Spirit's Guidance before making their summer plans.

My kids and I have been taking a deep dive into the history and pageantry of the Conclave of Cardinals and Papal Election: voting four times a day, black smoke, white smoke, the Sistine Chapel, a global gathering of cardinals from the far corners of the earth, all culminating in the moment on the balcony above Saint Peter’s square when the new pope is seen for the first time. 

The whole thing is mesmerizing.  

And it all begins with prayer. 

That’s my favorite thing, that they begin first by asking the Holy Spirit to guide them.  

What a great example, an icon, for life. 

Crazy, Hectic Summer Is Approaching 

With summer approaching, our family could use a conclave of its own. With seven people, and limited time, energy, money — and especially a limited number of drivers — we have to do some serious juggling to everything work. 

Figuring it out can be tough. 

Everyone has things they want to pursue: clubs, teams, classes, and camps. 

It creates a logistical puzzle of consistory-sized proportions.  

Choices have to be made. Everyone will need to pitch in to make the summer work, and we’ll all have to make compromises. 

Guidance from the Holy Spirit as we embark on that process and make those choices is just what we need. 

Kitchen Conclave 

I think it might be good time for our family to have a conclave of its own. We can all sit down together at the kitchen table and start with a prayer to the Holy Spirit as we try to figure out a plan for the coming summer.  

Our kitchen isn’t the Sistine Chapel, but smoke has been known to issue from it on occasion, so I think it will work: a Kitchen Conclave. 

And hopefully we can make it a new tradition, not just for summers, but for all of our undertakings: begin first with prayer.   

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Copyright 2025 Jake Frost
Images: Canva