Fragments from the Lost Writings of Irenæus

This custom of not bending the knee on Sunday is a symbol of the resurrection, through which we have been set free by the grace of Christ from sins and from death, which has been overcome by Him. This practice originated in apostolic times, as the blessed Irenaeus, the martyr and bishop of Lyons, states in his treatise On Easter, in which he also mentions Pentecost. On this feast, we do not bend the knee because it holds the same significance as the Lord's Day, for the reason already mentioned.