By Bob Carrejo
This is the fifth in a series of profiles of Christian Brothers for National Vocations Awareness Week, Nov. 2-8, 2025. This interview has been edited for length.
Brother Javier Antonio Hansen, FSC, is a San Francisco New Orleans District Brother who teaches religion, coaches cross country, and serves as associate director of admissions at La Salle High School in Yakima, Washington. In 2018, he was one of three representatives from the United States who participated in a presynod gathering in Rome. He also recently completed the Conference of Major Superiors of Men’s Young Religious Leadership Development Program. Here, Brother Javi shares his perspectives on his vocational journey and on the nature of religious life.
What is your definition of vocation?
I really like the definition that I’ve heard on some of our Called and Chosen Retreats: “What are your greatest gifts and what is the world’s greatest need and how can your greatest gifts help the world’s greatest need?” God gives us those gifts for a reason, and so then how can we use those gifts to help make the world a better place?
Saint John Baptist de La Salle described his vocation journey as God leading him “in an imperceptible way and over a long period of time so that one commitment led to another in a way that (he) did not foresee in the beginning.” Talk about your vocational journey and whether any of it resonates with that of the Founder.
I’d compare my vocational journey to a litany of saying yes. When you say yes, as the Founder did, you can’t always know what will happen next. For instance, in asking guys in our Contact Program to think about maybe teaching and living in community, they say, I would only want to be a teacher here. And I tell them if I wasn’t a Brother, I’d probably still be at my first school, which is a great school. But, whenever I’ve moved, I’ve formed great relationships in all those places, and those relationships would never have happened if I hadn’t said yes to moving.
How would you describe what you have found to be the gifts and the challenges of living in community.
Community is definitely one of our constitutive elements. I think faith, service and community are like three legs on a stool. If one’s not there, it’s going to collapse and you’re going to fall down. I have an image of community as one big circular table, but we each have a piece of that circle table that we share. The gifts of community have been the opportunity to share ideas and to have people that support and care for you.
What does it mean to you to have a prayer life?
We have structured formal prayer in the community where we pray the (Divine) Office or have liturgy together. But I am also conscious of what else I am doing to maintain my prayer life, because that can’t be it. Pray without ceasing, Saint Paul says. I think my prayer life has adapted throughout the year and over the years. Sometimes I’m in a rosary mood and my rosary walks are really important to me. Other times, spending 10 minutes in the morning listening to the Gospel and praying about it has been key.
What are some of your goals as an educator?
There’s a quote from Aristotle that says that a good teacher never stops learning. I don’t want ever to think I’m such an expert in my field that I don’t need to keep honing my craft. I love the example of San Miguel Febres Cordero, who would throw away his lesson plans every year so that they would never become stagnant. Also, I’ve always said I’d like to be a classroom teacher for as long as I am able, but I recognize that we always have to be open to leadership opportunities. So, I think what is important is that I work hard at how I’m keeping my work mission oriented. Where is my work, whatever it is, finding its purpose in our mission? I need to remember that it’s not just showing up 8-to-3, but how my work is tied to the mission.
In terms of responsibility, but also in terms of opportunity, what do you see as the ways in which the Brothers accompany the Partners in their formation as Lasallian educators?
That’s something that’s been more on my mind as I’ve gone from being a first-year teacher to having a diversity of experiences and being able to share them with our Partners. In my vocational journey so far, I’ve been in six of our District’s schools. I think there is something valuable about having that experience of the network of schools that we have. It’s something that Brothers bring to schools. I would compare it to a treasure chest that’s filled with Lasallian knowledge. Brothers need to keep learning and making sure we hone our understanding of our Lasallian identity, and I think we need to make sure we are sharing that with the Partners.
The Founder wrote in 1718 that “the need for this Institute is very great.” What do you see that is still the very great need for the Institute and the Lasallian mission?
Just like Vatican II called us to reconnect with the sources of our mission, I think today there needs to be a similar kind of going back to the sources and seeing what has been working. Vatican II wrestled with that question – what is the perception of faith life in the world today and what is needed? One thing our Brothers’ community is doing that is having our daily prayer on Tuesdays and Thursdays in the school chapel where anyone can join us. I think it’s important for us to be really open to what things need to take place.
What brings you your greatest joy as a Brother?
One is seeing my students enjoy learning as much as I’ve enjoyed learning. Another way that’s measured, besides just seeing the joy, is seeing them reach benchmarks and milestones. I’ve had opportunities to coach sports and it’s just as fulfilling, if not more, than classroom teaching. I can run with my students and have real-time conversations with them about their learning. For example, “You were running like this last week but now you’re running like this.” So, my joy is to see my students excited to learn and excited to see improvement.