Wether your word comes out "highly favored" or "full of grace" the word among, IMO, shows that Mary was a normal human as any other women. If Mary was "sinless" as catholics believe the verse would have read "blessed art thou "above" women. But it says "blessed art thou among women." Among, same as the rest.
And we do believe that Mary was a normal human as much as any other woman.
We don't teach that her sinlessness made her other than human (a goddess, for example) nor do we teach that it was anything other than a special favor of God's. So we would not boast of Mary being "above" women.
SD
Well if she's sinless she's way above me and any other women I know. Question? Did Mary realize she was a sinless human? If so at what point did she know it?
Becky