The LORD said to Joshua: “Choose twelve men from the people, one from each tribe. Command them, ‘Take up twelve stones from this spot in the Jordan riverbed.’ Carry them over with you, and place them where you are to stay tonight.”

Summoning the twelve men he had selected from among the Israelites, Joshua said to them “Go to the Jordan in front of the ark of the LORD, your God; lift to your shoulders ONE STONE APIECE. When your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean to you,’ you shall answer them, ‘The waters of the Jordan ceased to flow before the ark of the covenant of the LORD when it crossed the Jordan.’

Israel crossed on dry ground, for the LORD your God dried up the waters in front of you until you crossed over, just as the LORD your God had done at the Red Sea in order that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord is mighty. Thus these stones are to serve as a perpetual memorial.” Joshua 4

For Young Men, By Young Men

This adapted version of Joshua 4 inspired a realization that young men today are in desperate need of community. The Lord commands twelve men to come and carry these stones as a reminder that the Lord has already freed them from slavery. Similarly, as Catholic men of today, we must carry our stones to remind ourselves – and those around us – that the Lord has freed us from slavery and death.

The mission of One Stone Apiece is to create content for young men – but we don’t intend to do it alone. We realize that the best way to minister to the needs of our community is to engage and involve that community, and so we want to extend an invitation to all men to get involved in our ministry in whatever way the Lord has called them to use their gifts. We seek to help people see that the hand of the Lord is mighty, and we worship, honor, and serve the One True King who can stop even the awesome power of the waters and seas.

Unity of Mind, Spirit, & Body

We must also remember the difficulty of carrying one’s stone. These rocks are are often comparable to boulders and viewed as burdens. However, this mindset does fails to show forth the beauty that some of the most difficult burdens can be: examples of Christ.

Just as Christ spiritually bore the abuse of his persecutors, the sins of the world, and the physical weight of the cross, so to do our burdens often weigh down on us in mind, spirit, and body. Following the example of Our Lord Jesus Christ, we see that only in uniting the desires of our body, spirit, and mind can we truly be yoked to Christ and carry these stones with joy. The discipline that this requires in all areas of our life is an integral part of true masculinity.