Week in Review
Lenten Reflection Booklets Help Families Deepen Faith and Instill Pro-Life Values
As the Church prepares to enter the sacred season of Lent on February 18, American Life League’s Culture of Life Studies Program is making three downloadable daily reflection booklets available to families seeking a meaningful way to prepare for Christ’s death and Resurrection while instilling pro-life values in children of all ages. Designed for daily use throughout the 40 days of Lent, the booklets combine scripture, saintly examples, prayer, and family activities to help households grow in faith together and foster a culture of life at home and in their communities.
CLSP’s booklets—Culture-of-Life Voices of the Bible: 40 Days of Stories and Reflections for the Entire Family, A Lenten Journey with the Holy Spirit and the Saints, and Build a Culture of Life This Lent—integrate biblical reflections, stories of saints, and practical challenges to encourage families to live out their faith. Each booklet is meant for daily use and provides a structured yet accessible way to focus on the joy of Christ’s Resurrection.
The available Lenten resources include:
- Culture-of-Life Voices of the Bible: 40 Days of Stories and Reflections for the Entire Family
This booklet leads families through inspirational biblical stories that highlight compassion, courage, and care for others. Each day features a story from scripture, a reflection, discussion questions, and a quote from the Book of Wisdom, encouraging families to reflect on their own actions and the power of using their voices to care for others. - A Lenten Journey with the Holy Spirit and the Saints
Focused on the gifts of the Holy Spirit, this booklet pairs daily Bible verses and reflections with saints whose lives embodied those gifts. Each entry includes a short saint biography, a prayer, and a practical suggestion for living out that gift in daily life. - Build a Culture of Life This Lent
Drawing on scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the wisdom of the saints, this resource offers daily reflections paired with concrete, family-friendly actions. Each day provides practical ideas—both educational and engaging—for living out a culture of life in everyday situations.
Susan Ciancio, CLSP’s director and executive editor, emphasizes the booklets’ dual purpose: “These resources help families reflect upon Christ’s death and Resurrection while also teaching children to value every human being. By intentionally focusing on pro-life principles during Lent, families can grow spiritually while learning how to live with love and respect for others.”
Yet she explains that the booklets aren’t just for families. Individuals can read and benefit from their wisdom as well, as the faith-filled examples throughout the pages will resonate with people of all ages. She stated, “The holy men and women who have gone before us want to intercede on our behalf as we journey toward heaven. Learning about their lives and striving to emulate their actions is a goal we must all have if we hope to spend eternity with God.”
The Culture of Life Studies Program hopes that these resources become an invaluable part of everyone’s Lent.
The booklets are available for download at shop.all.org/clsp and offer families a meaningful way to align their Lenten journey with faith-driven social values.
Planned Parenthood Drops Legal Challenge to Medicaid Defunding
On Monday, February 2, Planned Parenthood announced that it was voluntarily dismissing its lawsuit against the Trump administration. This lawsuit had challenged the Medicaid defunding provision passed in July 2025 and sought to restore Planned Parenthood’s taxpayer-funded cash flow.
The spending bill at the center of the lawsuit (often called the One Big Beautiful Bill) blocked organizations from receiving federal Medicaid funds if they performed abortions and received more than $800,000 in reimbursements in 2023. Planned Parenthood claimed that the bill unfairly targeted its business, arguing that it should continue to receive our tax dollars because it has low-income customers.
A similar challenge to the defunding was brought by a network of abortion businesses in Maine, but it was dismissed in October. A third lawsuit, filed by a group of 22 states and the District of Columbia, is ongoing.
An activist judge used these lawsuits to temporarily pause the defunding twice, but a federal appeals court ruled in December that the administration had the right to withhold Medicaid reimbursements. Planned Parenthood Federation of America, PP League of Massachusetts, and PP Association of Utah released a joint statement regarding the end of their lawsuit. The statement said in part, “The goal of this lawsuit has always been to help Planned Parenthood patients get the care they deserve from their trusted provider. Based on the 1st Circuit’s decision, it is clear that this lawsuit is no longer the best way to accomplish that goal.”
US Attorney General Pam Bondi posted about the dismissal on X, saying, “Our legal team did an incredible job presenting the facts. Planned Parenthood might look for another path to pursue this meritless litigation, but they won’t find a viable one. We will continue fighting and winning in court to defend President Trump’s agenda—and we will continue fighting for life.”
Despite this victory, the reality is that Planned Parenthood will again be eligible for Medicaid reimbursements on July 4, 2026. If the administration is truly committed to fighting for life, permanently defunding the abortion giant is a great place to start.
ALL in the News
The Winter 2026 issue of Celebrate Life Magazine is officially out! Catch up on all the articles online here.
Susan Ciancio, editor of Celebrate Life Magazine and director of the Culture of Life Studies Program—ALL’s pre-K-12 pro-life education program—wrote a blog post about prioritizing God in our lives. You can read the blog post on our website. Susan’s blog post was also featured on Catholic 365.
One of the Culture of Life Studies Program’s Lenten booklets, Culture-of-Life Voices of the Bible, was reviewed on Catholic Mom. You can check that out here.
Susan also wrote an article about the importance of treating our elderly with the respect and dignity they inherently deserve; it was published in LifeSiteNews.
Twice a week, Judie’s commentaries are distributed to an expansive media list. The list contains over 100 media outlets such as Fox News, The Federalist, Breitbart, and The Daily Caller, among others. Judie’s commentaries are each featured on the front page of ALL.org.
Pro-Life Education
Culture of Life Studies Program
St. Valentine: Teaching the Culture of Life through the Lives of the Saints is a fun and inspirational booklet that teaches K-4th graders about St. Valentine. It is the perfect way to spread the pro-life message that everyone matters, everyone is valuable, and everyone is loved. Plus, kids get to show off their creativity, as we also include two sets of Valentine templates that you can print on cardstock and decorate to help make others feel special on St. Valentine’s Day! For a limited time, this download is just $1! ORDER HERE
ALL’s Education Materials
A Person’s a Person, No Matter How Small: Inaccurate science leads to the dehumanizing of preborn babies. From the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg, a new human being is created and begins growing exponentially each day. Containing a scientifically accurate and descriptive illustration of a baby’s development, this brochure not only takes you on a five-week journey with the baby as you watch him grow, but it identifies the language used by some in the scientific community who strive to obfuscate the truth about when a human being’s life truly begins—a tactic that results in more abortions and more dead babies. SHOP NOW
Pro-Life Social Media
PHOTOS: Smiles and Signs at the National Pro-Life March in Washington DC
The March for Life in Washington, DC, stands as one of the most uplifting gatherings a pro-life advocate can experience. Far more than a demonstration, it’s a vibrant celebration of human dignity, where tens of thousands come together each year—families, students, grandparents, religious, and people from every walk of life—to joyfully affirm that every human life is a gift.
What makes it truly worth attending is the overwhelming sense of unity and purpose that fills the National Mall and the streets leading to the Supreme Court. Young people gather shoulder-to-shoulder full of energy and optimism, many marching for the first time. It’s a powerful reminder that the pro-life movement isn’t defined by anger, but by love—for mothers, families, and the most vulnerable among us.
The most inspiring attendees carry signs written and colored by their own hands. Every year we immerse ourselves in the crowd and capture as many as we can. Below is a gallery of the best we could find:
