The phrase for “blessed” used of Mary is also used of Job in James 5:11. For his endurance. As you suggest, being blessed does not necessarily have anything to do with sin, but with being used by God.
Exactly. And in doing so, she is deserving of honor, more so than any other woman, that is true. But that is a whole different thing than the near deification that is proposed by our RCC FRiends.
I don't disagree; however, the phrase used WAS NOT simply "blessed," it was "blessed AMONG WOMEN" and that means among ALL women.
Moreover, when Elizabeth greets her, she says, "Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." (Luke 1:42) Elizabeth makes NO DISTINCTION between the blessing bestowed upon Mary and the blessing bestowed upon the Lord. Because we know that Mary IS NOT Divine, that blessing MUST refer to a sinless state.
This is in fulfillment of God's promise to Satan in Genesis 3:15 (I will put enmities between thee and the woman, and thy seed and her seed: she shall crush thy head, and thou shalt lie in wait for her heel). Who is the "woman" in this verse, certainly it isn't Eve, it is Mary. Mary crushes the head of Satan with her Seed. Mary is a participant, not an inconsequential bystander. Additionally, the emnities are the SAME between Mary and Satan and his seed as those of Jesus Christ. We know that the emnities between Satan and the Lord are complete and eternal, therefore the emnities between Mary and Satan are the same.