Table of Content
Introduction
1. Third Order Secular Franciscans
2. Third Order Secular Carmelites
3. My Father’ House Retreat Center
4. Beginnings of the OEF
5. Saints Directly Connected to OEF
6. Mary the Mother of Jesus
7. Mary belongs to an “Order of Eden”
8. The Environmental and Global Warming
9. Mary Gardens Outside Garden or Inside Pot
10. Wholeness, a Holistic lifestyle and Healing
11. Diet, Fasting, Health and Long-life
12. Jesus Divine Life and Humanity emphasis
13. High Christology and Low Christology
14. The Sacred Senses and the Way of Beauty
15. St. Francis was a Charismatic
16. Covenant Communities
17. The Scriptural Rule
18. The Communion of Saints
19. The Christian Pilgrims Progress
20. The Purgative, Illuminative & Unitive Ways
21. Seven Dimensions of Purification
22. The New Adam and Eve
23. New Garden of Eden in Nazareth
24. Mary the New Eve and the Order of Eden
25. Elijah and Mount Carmel
26. Order of Eden Rebirthed at My Father’s House
27. Reform and Penance in Church History
a. Reform Development
b. Imago Dei
c. Better than Adam and Eve
d. Monasticism Lifestyle
e. The Penitent Movement
f. Ecstasy – Experiential Aspect Needed
28. Third Order Beginnings
29. Poverty Indicates Purification
30. Francis, Early-on Concrete Activities
31. Spiritual Practice Emphasis
32. Holy Name of Jesus as Meditation
33. Purified, Healed and Saved
34. OEF’s Healing Ministry Connection
35. Saintly & Vegetarian Secular Franciscans
36. Are You Curious about OEF?
36. Entrance into the OEF
37. Joining the Order and the Time of Probation
38. Franciscan Rule of Life
a. Historical Framework
b. Gospel as Supreme Rule
c. Fraternal and Apostolic Community Rule
39. Carmelite Rule of Life
40. The Holy Mass
41. The Divine Office and Rosary
42. Religious Habits and Penitential Garb’s
43. Consecrated Life of OEF – Insights
44. Hermits with Community Cooperatives
45. Post Vatican II Emphasis
46. Comfortable Armchair Spirituality
47. Scripture, Tradition and Ecclesia
48. OEF helping Cure major illness
49. Affiliated Fraternities and Affiliated Ministries
50. OEF: Reference of Books and Videos
1. List of Abbreviations
2. Bio of James Tibbetts
3. Order of Eden Franciscans
4. Endnotes
5. Introduction - Order of Eden Franciscans Lifestyle and Structure
This book is an introduction to the Order of Eden Franciscans. It explains the various aspects and uniqueness of this secular (lay, domestic) community. The Order of Eden Franciscans (OEF) are modeled in large part after the Secular Franciscan Order (SFO) and partly come from this lineage since some were professed in the SFO. The Order of Eden is a new spiritual community of secular, domestic or lay Franciscans, integrating the best scientific and scholarly approaches in Franciscan and Carmelite traditions.
Fr. Bill McCarthy is from the Missionaries of the Holy Apostles which came from the Order of Friars Minor (OFM) and Jim Tibbetts is from the SFO, so they bring the best of both Franciscan orientations. This group started out as a charismatic prayer group in 2017 and developed into a charismatic Franciscan covenant community in 2018 and formed the Order of Eden Franciscans in February 2019, with twelve members, who are growing and having fun. In February 2020 most of them professed final vows into this OEF covenant community.
The Virgin Mary belongs to an “Order of Eden” a model for us all. The definition for this comes from the Journal article: Our Lady of Eden, 1974, Marian Studies, Marian Library, Dayton University, Ohio. The Order of Eden is about the line of succession and linage from Adam and Eve to Mary’s Jewish parents and her uniqueness as the New Eve, and as the Daughter of Zion (Zephaniah 3.14-17) because she qualifies as a personification of the elect people, the “kosher woman.” It is the Virgin Mary who is the first member of the Order of Eden. It is through this first Order that all the other religious orders came out of spiritually. She is the Model par excellence, Advocate, Cum-redemptrix and Immaculate (purified) One. She her list of Titles in, Order of Eden Franciscans Biblical Titles of Mary Mother of Jesus
Rule of Life.
Three of the greatest miracle-working saints in Italy are St. Francis of Assisi, St. Francis of Paola and St. Padre Pio. These three were all Franciscan in Spirit. St. Padre Pio was an OFM Cap. and St. Francis of Paola started out entering the Franciscan order as a youth for a year, but left and became a hermit, later formed a religious order of Franciscan Hermit Brothers but renamed it the Minims, modeled after St. Francis of Assisi. In a way we’re following St. Francis of Paola’s development and have his Rule for the seculars along with the Franciscan rule for seculars in together. These plus Saint Clare of Assisi are the primary Saints of this order of penance (purification).
Along with these is the Carmelite emphasis (St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross) which is very similar to the Franciscans. Along with these enclosure monastics we emphasize St. Benedict (Benedicts order) and St. Bruno (Carthusian order), and St. Theophan the Recluse (Russian Orthodox hermit, the Jesus Prayer) and their approach. This Carmelite emphasis fills out the lacking of mysticism emphasis and teachings needed in the Franciscan movement. This grouping of Franciscans and Carmelite forms the basic mix of spirituality for the domestic OEF. The St. Benedict, St. Bruno and St. Theophan approach emphasis fills out the monastic/hermetical emphasis.
This book; Order of Eden Franciscan’s Lifestyle and Structure, is a foundational document going along with the other documents for the Order of Eden Franciscans, as mentioned at the end of the book. This book is for the OEF which helps clarify the Rule and Constitution and Norms.
This book is part of the OEF “Rule-Set” documentation:
1. Order of Eden Franciscans Biblical Rule of Life
2. Order of Eden Franciscans Biblical Titles of
Mary Mother of Jesus Rule of Life
3. Order of Eden Franciscans Lifestyle and Structure
4. Order of Eden Franciscans Constitutions and Norms
5. OEF Catholic … Simplified, 16-part series.
See the Appendix, section 3. Order of Eden Franciscans for a more detailed explanation of the OEF.
Three key scripture verse is foundation here;
“In My Father’s House there are many mansions.” John 14:2
There are different ministry and community, religious orientations in spirituality, as we blend them together here.
Jesus said to us; “I came so that you might have life
and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10
“Beloved I hope you; are in good health – may you thrive in all other ways as you do in the spirit.” John 2:3
Having abundant life, being healthy and healed and thriving in the Spirit are the goal and context here!
Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
May God bless you with health and healing.
Thank you for your interest and God bless.
In Jesus and Mary,
James C. Tibbetts
James C. Tibbetts, OEF
