Canon XC.

Canon XC.

We have received from our divine Fathers the canon law that in honour
of Christ's resurrection, we are not to kneel on Sundays. Lest
therefore we should ignore the fulness of this observance we make it
plain to the faithful that after the priests have gone to the Altar for
Vespers on Saturdays (according to the prevailing custom) no one shall
kneel in prayer until the evening of Sunday, at which time after the
entrance for compline, again with bended knees we offer our prayers to
the Lord. For taking the night after the Sabbath, which was the
forerunner of our Lord's resurrection, we begin from it to sing in the
spirit hymns to God, leading our feast out of darkness into light, and
thus during an entire day and night, we celebrate the Resurrection.

Notes.

Ancient Epitome of Canon XC.

From the evening entrance of the Sabbath until the evening entrance of
the Lord's day there must be no kneeling.

Van Espen.

No doubt the synod by the words "we have received from the divine
Fathers," referred to canon xx. of the Council of Nice.

For many centuries this custom was preserved even in the Latin Church;
and the custom of keeping feasts and whole days generally from evening
to evening is believed to have been an Apostolic tradition, received by
them from the Jews. At the end of the VIII^th Century the Synod of
Frankfort declared in its xxj. canon, that "the Lord's day should be
kept from evening to evening." [385]
__________________________________________________________________

[385] "The evening and the morning were the first day."--Gen. i. 5.
__________________________________________________________________