4 March 2013

acolyte

[ak-uh-lahyt]

noun
1. an altar attendant in public worship.
2. Roman Catholic Church .
a. a member of the highest-ranking of the four minor orders.
b. the order itself. Compare exorcist ( def 2 ) , lector ( def 2 ) , ostiary ( def 1 ) .
3. any attendant, assistant, or follower.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English acolite < Medieval Latin acolytus < Greek akólouthos follower, attendant, equivalent to a- prefix denoting association + -kolouthos, variant of kéleuthos road, journey

Today’s aphorism

Every day that is born into the world comes like a burst of music and rings the whole day through, and you make of it a dance, a dirge, or a life march, as you will.

– Thomas Carlyle

On this day

4 March 1987 – President Ronald Reagan admits that the U.S. negotiated the Iran-Contra deal, which swapped ‘arms for hostages’ in order to secure the release of hostages from Iran.