Why is Mary frightened? Is her fear reflective of unbelief?
Anyone who becomes a parent knows that it is an awesome responsibility. Raising a child (whether he or she be gifted or have special needs) is a full time undertaking, spread over many years. We do our best, making a series of decisions and taking actions of which we are unsure, praying and trusting that what we do is right.
How much more difficult it must have been for Mary, a teenager who is entrusted to raise a child with a Divine Destiny. It is not so much the physical nature of the event (her body being used for a special birth). More than that, she will have a role in raising a child to become a spiritually centered being. This would frighten anybody, including Mary, but it is her faith that allows her to accept her new role without question.
Perhaps Mary should be considered a virgin in a spiritual sense, never having been corrupted by the world. She speaks directly with an angel, with no intermediary, and responds with an immediate affirmation of her role as God’s servant. What a wonderful example.