The Letter of Dionysius of Alexandria to Basilides

Dionysius, to my beloved son and brother, my fellow minister in holy things, Basilides, faithful to God: greetings in the Lord.

Canon 1. The time for breaking the Easter fast depends on the exact hour of our Savior’s resurrection, and this could not be known for certain from the four evangelists. So those who have not fasted on the Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday before Easter do no great thing if they fast on the Friday and Saturday, and keep on until past three o’clock on Easter morning. But those who have fasted all six days are not to be blamed if they break their fast after midnight. Some do not fast on any of these days. [b]

Canon 2. Women during their monthly period ought not to come to the holy table, or touch the Holy of Holies, or come into the churches, but should pray elsewhere. [c] Canon 3. Those who are able to restrain themselves, and are advanced in years, ought to judge for themselves. They have heard Saint Paul say that they should “give themselves to prayer for a time, and then come together again.” [d] Canon 4. Those who have had involuntary emissions in the night are left to their own judgment as to whether to receive communion or not.