One can’t get much more progressive in the Catholic church than I am without getting the heave-ho, excommunicated. So I was somewhat surprised at myself for how annoyed I became when the liturgy of the Mass was messed with to the point of being distracting, to the point of nearly being a farce.
When one goes home without seeing either the Liturgy of the Word or the Liturgy of the Eucharist as being a high point or central to the gathering of the community, then something has gone wrong.
If one isn’t careful with the Easter Vigil, the evening can become the proverbial ten pounds of stuff in a five pound bag. The evening should be solemn yet joyful, and the four parts of the liturgy should be kept in balance at a minimum. Once either the Service of the Light or the Baptism becomes a scene stealer, or a performance, the Mass becomes liturgically ineffective.
I think I more fully understand why the Committee on Divine Worship tries to keep the lid on things. It wouldn’t take long for an “anything goes” worship approach to take over.
In a dim light... 